There
has been a longstanding - some say New Orleans… some say Louisiana… some say
Southern tradition of making Red Beans and Rice. In years gone by when Monday was “Wash Day”,
Red Beans were slow cooked on the stove using
the ham bone left from Sunday's dinner while washing clothes. It seems like every day is “Wash Day” at my
house. We all work can to can’t and then
some… so the only way I’m going to get my Red Beans and Rice is to plan ahead
and use a little help from modern technology.
I do believe you still need to soak your beans overnight and to certainly
not skimp on any of the other flavorful ingredients.
One more thing before I
share the recipe with you - the “Holy Trinity” in Louisiana refers to a trio in
equal parts of diced aromatics: bell pepper, onion and celery. They are gently sautéed together to create a
flavor base for the other ingredients to build upon. There are variations of this trio in other
cuisines:
French “Mirepoix”:
carrot, onion and celery (Classic)
Italian
“Soffritto”: onions, celery, and carrots in a 2:1:1 ratio
Indian:
onion, ginger, and garlic
If you have a family
recipe that you only get to enjoy when Monday falls on a holiday or one of the
kiddos is home sick… try modifying it to use it in the slow cooker, it will
become a new tradition in your household.
Red
Beans and Rice (Makes 8 servings)
1 lb dried red beans (I
use “Camellia” brand)
6 cups water
8 slices thick cut bacon
(about ½ a pound), cut into ½ inch slices
1 ½ lb smoked sausage,
cut into ¾ to 1 inch pieces (I use locally produced “Down Home” brand)
Holy Trinity – 2 cups
onion, 2 cups green bell pepper, 2 cups celery (all cut to small dice)
2 t salt2 t dried thyme
1 t ground black pepper
¼ t cayenne
1 T garlic, finely
chopped
5 cups vegetable stock
(low sodium)
8-10 prepared servings of
long grain rice
Flat leaf parsley, finely
chopped (for garnish)
Green onions, finely
sliced (for garnish)
Sort beans, rinse and place them into a container, adding about
6 cups water.
Let soak overnight. Drain rinse and set aside.
Pre-cook the sausage, lightly brown and render out the fat.
In a large skillet lightly cook the bacon just until it starts
to brown but still limp.
Add the trinity
ingredients, stir and sauté the vegetables until they are soft. Add salt, thyme, pepper, cayenne and garlic…continue
sautéing just until the vegetables start to brown.
Place beans, vegetables, vegetable stock and sausage in a slow
cooker. Set on low for 10 hours.
Adjust seasoning. If they
need to be thickened more, remove about a cup of the beans, mash with a fork
and return them to the pot. Serve with
rice and garnish with the parsley and green onions.
Enjoy!
~CGJ
