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New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Ruth Brister
Ingredients
1 pound red kidney beans
2 quarts water (substitute homemade or canned chicken broth for richer flavor)
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound smoked ham, cubed
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch coins**
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon whole dried thyme leaves or substitute 2 tablespoons whole fresh thyme leaves
Salt, to taste
Directions
Try to choose red beans that are not super dark red. These are generally tougher than the more pink-red colored beans and will take quite a while longer to cook. Pick over the beans and wash them well. Add the beans to the 2 quarts water or broth and bring just to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit covered for half an hour.
Add onions and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let beans boil slowly for one hour, or until beans are soft (depending on the age of your beans, this time will vary considerably). Once beans are soft, stir well mashing some against the side of the pot.
Heat oil in frying pan. Add the ham and sausage, sauteing in oil for five minutes. Add the chopped garlic and toss briefly. Add the meat and garlic mixture to the pot of beans. Deglaze the frying pan with a cup of water and add this to the beans. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, cook up some rice (preferably Uncle Ben's converted rice, as this is authentically what is used in New Orleans.) At the end of the cooking time, beans should be nice and creamy.
Serve over rice.
Suggestions
You can omit the sausage, but if you do, add a smoked ham hock when you add the water or broth and remove it before serving.