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Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Source of Recipe

From "The Glory of Southern Cooking" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"A big bowl of red beans and rice, maybe a few links of spicy sausage, a small loaf of hot French bread, and bottles of ice-cold Dixie beer�such is the traditional menu on any given Monday in homes, caf�s, and unpretentious restaurants throughout the Louisiana Delta and in New Orleans. No matter that the beans and rice can contain ham hocks, diced chicken, smoked sausage, salt pork, or a local packaged seasoning called 'pickled pork'�depending on the self-appointed authority in the kitchen. So long as the beans and rice are tender and well-flavored and there's a bowl of chopped red onions to sprinkle over the top, everybody's happy. 'Don't you ever eat a salad or some slaw to cut all that starch and fat?' I once asked a proudly stout local in Thibodaux. 'Boy, if you gotta have stuff like that, you shouldn't be eatin' red beans and rice,' he snapped indignantly."

List of Ingredients

◦ 1 � cups dried kidney beans, rinsed and picked over
◦ 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
◦ 1 medium onion, chopped
◦ 1 rib celery, chopped
◦ � small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
◦ 1 clove garlic, minced
◦ � pound garlic or smoked sausage, thinly sliced
◦ 1 small hot red pepper, chopped
◦ � teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
◦ � teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
◦ 1 bay leaf
◦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
◦ 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
◦ 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
◦ 2 cups chicken broth
◦ � cup diced cooked ham
◦ 1 red onion, finely chopped


Recipe

Place the kidney beans in a large, heavy pot with enough cold water to cover by 3 inches and let soak overnight. Drain the beans in a colander and dry the pot.

Heat the oil in the pot over moderate heat, add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, and stir till the vegetables soften, about 3 minutes. Return the soaked beans to the pot and add the sausage, red pepper, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, vinegar, and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook till the beans are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the rice, chicken broth, ham, and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderate, cover, and cook till all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

In a large serving bowl, combine the beans-and-rice mixture, stir well, and serve with chopped red onion sprinkled over each portion.

Makes 6 servings