Adapted from The New Orleans Cookbook by Rima and Richard Collin
Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
For the rice:
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups cold water
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons salt butter
For the red beans:
2 pounds dried red (kidney) beans, soaked overnight in cold water to cover
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion tops
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 1/3 tablespoons finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
1 pound cooked andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ham hocks, on the bone
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper pods
2 whole bay leaves, broken into quarters
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried basil
2 quarts cold water, approximately
Directions
Note: The rice will keep warm enough for serving second helpings if you use a heavy saucepan and keep it covered after serving.
For the rice:
- Combine all the ingredients in a heavy 3-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir once with a fork, then cover tightly and reduce the heat to very low.
- Cook covered for exactly 15 minutes. Do not lift the cover during cooking.
- Remove the pan from heat , uncover, and fluff the rice gently with a fork.
Serves 8.
For the red beans:
- Drain the soaked beans in a colander and put them, along with all the other ingredients, into a heavy 8- to 10-quart pot, adding just enough of the cold water to cover.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are tender and a thick, natural gravy has formed.
- Add about 1 cup of water toward the end of cooking if the mixture appears too dry. If the mixture is too watery — it should have the consistency of gravy — continue to cook on low heat until it reaches desired thickness.
- During cooking, stir frequently and scrape down the sides and across the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula to prevent scorching. (If you use a heavy pot and very low heat — just high enough to keep the barest simmer going — you should have no problem with beans sticking to the pot during cooking.)
- Stir the entire mixture thoroughly just once about every half hour, letting the ham fall off the bone in the process.
- When the beans are cooked, turn off the heat. To serve, ladle about 1 1/2 cups of beans, with meat and gravy and without bay leaves or bones, over a portion (about 2/3 cup) of boiled rice.
Serves 8 or more.
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