It’s not just for Monday anymore!  New Orleans red beans and rice can be made anytime you have a day-long project from which you can take occasional breaks to stir the pot. The ingredients are easy to find and inexpensive. When I was in college, my buddy Mark and I decided that we were going to treat our friends to a red beans and rice dinner. The only problem: we didn’t know how to cook it. So I called home and my father answered. His recipe was, “Soak the beans overnight, then add some pork meat and spices. Then boil the hell out of it.” My mother called back in a few minutes and gave me the following recipe. I’ve modified it a little bit. It’s great when served with a dessert like bread pudding.

TIPS:

• Fresh spices yield the best results, but you can use dry in a pinch. Seasoning the red beans is a matter of taste. Some like it more flavorful than others, but keep in mind that spicy-hot is not the same as flavorful. The various seasonings listed below will create a complex melody of flavors. If you want it hotter, you can hit it with a shake or two of hot sauce when it’s on the plate.
• Be extra careful when adding salt. The diced ham contains a lot of salt already. And it’s far easier to add more salt than to take it out.
• Most recipes have us soak the beans under water overnight in a large stockpot. The idea is to soften the beans so that the cook time is shorter. Experiments have shown that it doesn’t really make much difference to the final product. Still, I always soak the beans. Tradition, and all that.
• You will know when the beans are done because the batch will have a consistent, creamy texture and essentially all of the beans will have broken up.
• You should occasionally taste the red beans and decide if you want to adjust the seasonings. I usually add more as the recipe progresses. Consider the ingredients below a starting point that might be adjusted upward.
• Make sure the sausage is pork-based. Anything else will just taste strange. No, don’t use turkey sausage.
• Red beans and rice is traditionally served with a baguette of fresh French bread on the side. And beer doesn’t hurt.

Red Beans

Serves six

Ingredients

1 one-pound bag of dry, large red kidney beans
1-1/2 lb. pork sausage such as andouille or kielbasa, cut into 3-4 inch lengths
1/2 lb. diced ham1 large white onion, diced
1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tbsp. fennel seed
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
3-4 large bay leaves
1/2 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste hot sauce to taste
water as required
For garnish: chopped green pepper or parsley

Soak

Place the dry beans in a large stockpot (8 quart size or larger will do).  A black cast iron kettle is perfect, but you can use any pot with a thick metal bottom that allows even heat distribution. Add water until the level is about an inch or two above the beans. Allow to stand overnight.

Season and Simmer

Get up the next morning and have a cup of coffee. Set the burner under the beans to medium-high heat. The beans will have swollen overnight, so if necessary, add more water until the level is about one inch above the beans. Add the diced onion and diced ham. Add all the seasonings except the salt. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat and allow to simmer. Cover with a lid.

This part takes five hours or more, so it’s a good time to read a book, or write one. During this period, stir the pot occasionally and don’t let it scorch too much, although there is a school that says you’re supposed to allow it to scorch a little to add flavor. Sometimes I follow this advice by accident. Add water as necessary to maintain a constant level. Taste occasionally (don’t burn your tongue!) and adjust the seasonings to taste. If you add salt, add just a pinch or two at a time and taste again. You have at least five hours, so there’s no reason to rush it.

Reduce

Around hour five, the simmering mixture should have a consistent appearance. Remove the lid and allow it to slowly boil down until the beans have a thick, creamy texture. Remember that this is really hot, and when it cools down on the plate, the consistency will be thicker still. Stir occasionally. Fish out the stems from the thyme sprigs, if you can find them.

Serve

After the beans have reduced in volume by an inch or so, and the viscosity of the mix is similar to that of heavy cream, you are ready. Serve over white or brown rice and garnish with chopped green onion or chopped parsley. Dose with two or three shakes of hot sauce, if you wish.

Rice

1 cup dry white rice
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

Place the water and salt in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add the rice and stir, then reduce the heat to low and cover for eighteen minutes. Fluff the rice and serve.

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