Red Beans and Rice

Name: Red Beans and Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: USA
Ingredients: 500 g dried red kidney beans, soaked in cold water overnight, drained; 400 g long-grain white rice, cooked separately; 300 g andouille sausage, sliced into coins; 200 g smoked ham hock or smoked pork neck bones; 1 large onion, diced; 1 large green bell pepper, diced; 4 stalks celery, diced; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper; 1.5 litres water; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1.5 tsp salt (add towards the end, salt added early toughens beans); 2 tbsp neutral oil or lard; 4 tbsp unsalted butter (to enrich the beans at the end); Hot sauce, sliced spring onions, and cornbread to serve

New Orleans' Monday ritual since the 19th century: dried red kidney beans simmered all day with andouille, smoked ham, the Holy Trinity and enough cayenne to satisfy, ladled over white rice with a knob of butter: the dish that Louis Armstrong signed his letters with

Origin: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

From the journey of Rice.

Red beans and rice is New Orleans' Monday dish: a tradition that dates to the late 19th century, when Monday was wash day. While the women of the household spent the day at the laborious work of hand-washing clothes, a pot of beans could be set on the back burner to cook unattended all day. The beans absorbed the smoked pork and trinity aromatics over hours of slow cooking until they broke down into a creamy, rich, naturally thick sauce. Jazz legend Louis Armstrong signed many of his letters 'Red beans and ricely yours'; his obsession with the dish was legendary, and he had it shipped to him on tour. The cultural heritage of red beans and rice connects to Haitian cuisine (where red beans, haricot rouge, are fundamental), to Spanish colonialism, and to West African traditions of cooking legumes with smoked pork. It remains one of the most comforting things you can eat in any city on earth. The long, slow cooking that creates the beans' naturally thick, creamy sauce (from the partial dissolution of the bean exterior) cannot be rushed; this is one dish that rewards patience above all else.

Ingredients

Beans

500 g dried red kidney beans, soaked in cold water overnight, drained

Rice

400 g long-grain white rice, cooked separately

Pork

300 g andouille sausage, sliced into coins
200 g smoked ham hock or smoked pork neck bones

Holy Trinity

1 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
4 stalks celery, diced

Aromatics

5 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves

Spices

1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper

Liquid

1.5 litres water

Seasoning

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1.5 tsp salt (add towards the end, salt added early toughens beans)

Fat

2 tbsp neutral oil or lard

Enrichment

4 tbsp unsalted butter (to enrich the beans at the end)

Serving

Hot sauce, sliced spring onions, and cornbread to serve

Method

Heat the oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the andouille sausage slices until caramelised, 3–4 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In the fat remaining in the pot, add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and all the dried spices. Stir for 1 minute.
Add the soaked, drained kidney beans. Add the ham hock, browned andouille sausage, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and water. Bring to a vigorous boil and boil for 10 minutes (important for kidney bean safety). Reduce heat to a steady simmer.
Simmer, partially covered, for 2–3 hours until the beans are completely tender and the liquid has thickened significantly. Stir every 30 minutes and add water if needed to keep the beans covered.
When the beans are fully tender, remove the ham hock. Shred any meat from the bone and return it to the pot. Discard the bone and bay leaves. Season with salt to taste.
For the classic New Orleans 'creamy' style: use a wooden spoon or potato masher to mash about one-third of the beans against the side of the pot. This self-thickens the sauce into a creamy gravy without adding any flour. Stir in the butter.
Serve over cooked white rice. Ladle generously so the rice is surrounded by the bean gravy. Top with sliced spring onions and pass the hot sauce. Cornbread on the side is traditional.

Notes

Red beans and rice is one of the most economical complete proteins in any cuisine; beans and rice together provide all nine essential amino acids, making this a nutritionally complete meal from humble, inexpensive ingredients. This nutritional completeness was discovered empirically by West African cooks long before nutritional science could explain it, and the combination of legume and grain is present in cuisines across the African diaspora: hoppin' John, waakye, Brazilian arroz e feijão, and Costa Rican gallo pinto are all expressions of the same profound nutritional and culinary insight.

The Gastrographer

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control