Red Beans and Rice

My favorite thing about all of the smaller holidays/celebrations throughout the year is that I can use them as great excuses to try new foods :) Not a lot of day-to-day things make me happier than trying a brand new ethnic recipe that I’ve always heard of but have never eaten. Since it’s been the mardi gras time of year, I recently made jambalaya for the first time, and for Fat Tuesday yesterday I skipped the paczki and king cake (sad, sad) and instead tested out a red beans and rice recipe. It was awesome! The recipe is from Emeril Lagasse and, as far as I can gather, it’s fairly authentic. The ingredients are all simmered in water until a sauce is formed, almost like a gravy. The sauce is rich and full of flavor, and I loved the way that it coated the beans and sausage and seeped down into the white rice. This dish really had some spice to it, too. Without really measuring, I adjusted the recipe to make a smaller portion, but I didn’t really ease back on the cayenne at all, and I also used a spicier sausage. Whoops! I guess my version was extra spicy, but I didn’t mind :)

Red Beans and Rice
Source: Emeril Lagasse

I scaled this recipe down to serve two (with some leftovers), and I made some changes in the ingredients, including using canned beans instead of fresh. The use of canned beans cut the cooking time down to approximately 1 1/2 hours. Here’s the recipe as I made it.

Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I’d recommend lowering this to 1/4 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
2 bay leaves
10 oz cajun style Andouille sausage, sliced
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
Approximately 4 cups water
1 cup white rice
2 green onions, sliced

1. Drizzle some olive oil in a dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Saute the onions, red pepper, salt, cayenne, black pepper, and thyme for approximately 5 minutes.

2. Add the bay leaves and sausage, and saute for approximately 5 minutes.

3. Add the beans, garlic, and enough water to cover all of the contents in the pot.

4. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally. I simmered the mixture for approximately 45 minutes, then I increased the heat to a boil and boiled the mixture until the water turned into a thick sauce, approximately 30 more minutes. You want the sauce to be creamy, not like a soup, and it will get that way as long as you cook it long enough.

5. While the meal is cooking, cook the cup of rice according to package instructions, and slice the green onions.

6. Remove the bay leaves from the pot, and serve the mixture over the white rice. Top with green onions.