Red Beans & Rice Recipe

Soak beans (quick or overnight)

Rinse the dried beans and remove any stones. For overnight soak: cover beans with 4 cups water, soak 8–12 hours, then drain and rinse. For quick soak: place beans in pot, cover with 6 cups water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit 1 hour, then drain and rinse.

Simmer beans

Place soaked and drained beans in a large pot. Add 6 cups fresh water (or enough to cover beans by ~2 inches) and the bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until beans are just tender, 45–60 minutes depending on age of beans. Skim foam as needed. Add 2 tsp kosher salt during the last 15 minutes of simmering.

While beans simmer, if using smoked ham hock, add it to the simmering beans after they have been cooking about 20–30 minutes so it can release flavor and tenderize. If using sausage, brown the sliced sausage in a separate skillet over medium-high heat for 4–6 minutes until caramelized. Set browned sausage aside and reserve about 1 tablespoon of rendered fat for the base (or discard fat and use oil).

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbs oil (or reserved sausage fat) over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery and bell pepper (the 'holy trinity') and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Stir in smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, cayenne, black pepper and the tablespoon of creole/cajun seasoning. Cook 1 minute to bloom the spices. Add Worcestershire sauce and optional hot sauce and stir to combine.

Carefully add the simmered beans (with about 1–1.5 cups of their cooking liquid) into the pot with the mirepoix and spices. If you used a ham hock, remove it, shred any meat and return the meat to the pot. Add the browned sausage slices now. Add 4 cups chicken stock (or enough to reach desired consistency) and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20–30 minutes to let flavors marry and sauce thicken slightly. If mixture becomes too thick, add more reserved bean cooking liquid or water a little at a time.

For a creamier texture, lightly mash about 1–2 cups of beans against the side of the pot with a potato masher and stir back in, or ladle 1 cup of beans and puree briefly with an immersion blender and return. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, creole seasoning, or hot sauce as desired. If using, sprinkle file powder and stir in at the very end (do not boil vigorously after adding).

While the beans are finishing, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups rinsed rice, 3.5 cups water, 0.5 tsp salt and 1 tbs butter or oil. Bring to a boil, stir once, reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer 15–18 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let rest covered 5–10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Spoon cooked rice into bowls and ladle a generous portion of red beans over the rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and chopped parsley. Offer additional hot sauce and file powder at the table.