New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

[downsizingnow48]

One of our daughters went to grad school at Tulane University so for several years we were in New Orleans regularly. So much good food! One of the things I learned to make was red beans and rice. There are lots of recipes out there, the one I follow comes from a cookbook we bought at a museum in town.

1 lb kidney beans
(Most the kidney beans in grocery stores are overage horse food. Dry, tasteless, will never get creamy. I get really good red beans from Camellia, a New Orleans company. It makes a big difference. Why waste your time and ingredients with crappy beans.)

1/2 pound smoked Andouille sausage, sliced
1 med onion
2 green onions (the green part, not the white part)
2 stalks celery, get it with lots of leaves still left on. You want the leaves. Hard to find.
1/2 small green Bell pepper
1 ham bone or ham hock
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Put everything except the sausage in a big pot and simmer for 2-3 hours until beans are soft.

Sausage is sauteed (that is a polite word for fried) for a short time, then added to the beans shortly before serving.

Served over long grain white rice (we use rice bought in 25 lb sacks from a middle eastern grocery store, it is much tastier than what you find in your local chain grocery).

This is another easy but really nice recipe.

 

[747driver]

There is an art to making red beans and rice...its all in the beans ! We lived in Beaumont,TX for 15 years which is near the Gulf coast. The Cajuns know how to cook !! I like the pinto style beans better....kidney beans are to hard for me. Also add a skillet of cornbread to sop up the liquids....enjoy !

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Thanks! I'm sending this one on to Sharn Jean. I love the Andouille sausage.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Thanks! I'm sending this one on to Sharn Jean. I love the Andouille sausage.

The cookbook has a footnote saying you really should use a whole pound of the sausage!

 

[buckbros]

One of our daughters went to grad school at Tulane University so for several years we were in New Orleans regularly. So much good food! One of the things I learned to make was red beans and rice. There are lots of recipes out there, the one I follow comes from a cookbook we bought at a museum in town.

1 lb kidney beans
(Most the kidney beans in grocery stores are overage horse food. Dry, tasteless, will never get creamy. I get really good red beans from Camellia, a New Orleans company. It makes a big difference. Why waste your time and ingredients with crappy beans.)

1/2 pound smoked Andouille sausage, sliced
1 med onion
2 green onions (the green part, not the white part)
2 stalks celery, get it with lots of leaves still left on. You want the leaves. Hard to find.
1/2 small green Bell pepper
1 ham bone or ham hock
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Put everything except the sausage in a big pot and simmer for 2-3 hours until beans are soft.

Sausage is sauteed (that is a polite word for fried) for a short time, then added to the beans shortly before serving.

Served over long grain white rice (we use rice bought in 25 lb sacks from a middle eastern grocery store, it is much tastier than what you find in your local chain grocery).

This is another easy but really nice recipe.

Reading your recipe, I assume you do not pre-soak the beans, just put in the pot & simmer with the other ingredients?

 

[downsizingnow48]

That is right. High quality red beans will cook up OK in a few hours. Soaking is OK too, can't hurt.

 

[Wakey]

I soak my beans overnight and yes, a full pound of Andoulle sausage per pound of beans.

Walmart carries Camellia beans https://www.walmart.com/ip/Camellia-Famous-New-Orleans-Red-Kidney-Beans-2-lb/10413716?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=6998&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42423897272&wl4=pla-51320962143&wl5=1015254&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=10413716&wl13=6998&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-Iff06-z3gIVi8DACh3ldwQbEAQYASABEgKKa_D_BwE

And a true Aundouille sausage is important IMO. I've never seen this in my Walmart but Ingles carries it thankfully. To me this is the best that can be had not purchasing it in the New Orleans area.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Richard-s-Cajun-Foods-Andouille-Sausage-1-lb/134443263

 

[buckbros]

One of our daughters went to grad school at Tulane University so for several years we were in New Orleans regularly. So much good food! One of the things I learned to make was red beans and rice. There are lots of recipes out there, the one I follow comes from a cookbook we bought at a museum in town.

1 lb kidney beans
(Most the kidney beans in grocery stores are overage horse food. Dry, tasteless, will never get creamy. I get really good red beans from Camellia, a New Orleans company. It makes a big difference. Why waste your time and ingredients with crappy beans.)

1/2 pound smoked Andouille sausage, sliced
1 med onion
2 green onions (the green part, not the white part)
2 stalks celery, get it with lots of leaves still left on. You want the leaves. Hard to find.
1/2 small green Bell pepper
1 ham bone or ham hock
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Put everything except the sausage in a big pot and simmer for 2-3 hours until beans are soft.

Sausage is sauteed (that is a polite word for fried) for a short time, then added to the beans shortly before serving.

Served over long grain white rice (we use rice bought in 25 lb sacks from a middle eastern grocery store, it is much tastier than what you find in your local chain grocery).

This is another easy but really nice recipe.

Finally found some Andouille sausage from a butcher shop that make their own and am going to try this recipe. Do you dice or slice the peppers, onions, & celery up?

 

[downsizingnow48]

Chopped up in chunks should be fine.

 

[buckbros]

Chopped up in chunks should be fine.

Thank you. Looking forward to trying this. :licking:Any other suggestions?