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Red Beans and Rice with Andouille Sausage

Source of Recipe

From "Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen" by Sara Foster and Lee Smith


Recipe Introduction

"Long-simmering red beans practically cook themselves, a fact that didn't escape the many generations of hardworking Louisiana Creole women who supposedly made this dish every Monday, on laundry day. Even now, many Creole restaurants serve red beans and rice as a lunch special on Mondays."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 tablespoons olive oil
â—¦ 1 pound smoked ham, cut into 1-inch chunks
â—¦ 2 onions, chopped
â—¦ 2 red or green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, smashed
â—¦ 2 ½ cups (about 1 pound) dried red beans, soaked in water overnight and drained
â—¦ 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
â—¦ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ 4 bay leaves
â—¦ 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
â—¦ 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
â—¦ 3 generous dashes of hot sauce, plus more for serving
â—¦ Sea salt
â—¦ 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
â—¦ Steamed long-grain white rice
â—¦ 4 scallions, trimmed and minced


Recipe

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until sizzling hot. Add the ham and cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until it begins to brown. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes more, until the onions are soft and light brown and the peppers are brightly colored and tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly.

Add the beans, ½ cup of the parsley, the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, 1 ½ teaspoons of the thyme, the red pepper flakes, black pepper, hot sauce, and salt to taste. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches and simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Add more water if needed; the beans should always be covered by at least 1 inch of water.

When the beans are tender, remove the bay leaves, stir in the sausage and remaining 1 ½ teaspoons thyme, and cook for about 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the beans develop a thick, creamy gravy. Stir in the remaining ½ cup parsley and season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired. Serve hot over a bed of steamed white rice, garnished with the scallions and with extra hot sauce on the side.

Serves 8 to 10