John's Red Beans and Rice
My friend, John, that lives in Alabama has a wonderful recipe for red beans and rice. He shared it one year at an annual party we have for our friend group from graduate school, and it was a hit! I still make it often because it's great and because it provides several days of meals - saving me time in the kitchen. I cook it in a rather large quantity, but the recipe can be halved just as easily. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs red beans
- 26-32 oz smoked sausage
- 20 oz celery
- 1 large onion (sweet or white)
- 1 large bell pepper
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning (season to taste before serving)
- 1/8 cup Tobasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce
- 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
- 1-2 cups white rice
- 1 tsp olive oil
Directions
Sort and rinse the beans. In a large pot, put the beans and fill with enough water to cover the beans with 2-3 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil and, then, turn off the heat. Let the beans soak up the water for 1-2 hours. Add enough water to cover the beans with 3-4 inches of water. Bring the water back to a boil and, then, turn the heat down just enough to maintain a low boil. Allow the beans to cook for another 30-60 min until they begin to soften. Add water if necessary.
Chop the vegetables and grate (or mince) the garlic. Add the vegetables to the beans along with the Cajun seasoning, butter, and hot sauce. Optionally, grill the sausage. Slice the sausage into bite size pieces and add it to the bean mixture. Allow the mixture to continue cook on low heat (covered) with occasional stirring for another 30-60 minutes. The sauce will begin to thicken, and the flavors will begin to come together.
While the beans finish cooking, add equal parts rice and water (I always measure the rice first) to a small pot that has a good lid. Bring the water to a low boil and, then, turn the heat down as low as it will go. Keep the lid on the pot! Set a timer for 20 min. When the timer goes off, turn off the heat, drizzle the rice with the olive oil, and replace the lid. Taste the red beans - making sure that the beans and vegetables are tender. Taste and add Cajun seasoning as necessary.
When cooking, tasting is your strongest ally. If the beans aren't tender to your liking when you perform your first taste test, wait to add any additional seasoning. Water will boil off as the mixture continues to cook. It is good practice to season with less than will be required initially to condition the solution matrix to accept the final seasoning more readily at the end. Then, once the cooking is complete, apply your final seasoning. Apply this technique to all your stovetop recipes.