Creole Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Trey Blancher -

I've adapted this recipe over the years, originally passed down to me from my parents.  My wife April and I have worked on perfecting this recipe throughout our marriage.  This is a classic dish from New Orleans, LA, USA, which in my opinion has some of the best food in the world.

Preparation time:  20-30 minutes
Cook time:  5-6 hours

Ingredients

  • 2lbs dry light red kidney beans, soaked overnight in water and rinsed
  • 4 large onions, halved and quartered
  • 4 bunches scallions (green onions), diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, cored and finely chopped
  • 2 heads of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk (diced optional)
  • 2lbs andouille (smoked sausage), diced into 1-inch pieces (we prefer Conecuh Original or Hickory, out of Conecuh, AL, USA)
  • 1 smoked ham/pork hock, whole
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 1tbsp Tony Chachere's Seasoning (seasoned salt), more or less to taste
  • 1tbsp chicken bouillon
  • 1tbsp beef bouillon
  • 2 cups rice

Directions

Place beans and all other vegetables (except the rice) into a large (12+qt) pot.  Put 2-3 quarts of water.  You do not need to completely cover all of the vegetables with water, they will break down.  If you add too much water you'll need to simmer it off at the end, prolonging cooking time.  Add the Tony's/seasoned salt, bouillon, and ham/pork hock, and bring to a boil.

Once the pot reaches a rolling boil, lower heat to low, simmering for 5-6 hours.  At this time add the andouille, browning it beforehand if you prefer.  Be sure to stir the pot every 15-20 minutes, to ensure the beans do not catch on the bottom.

Towards the end the beans should thicken, like mud.  You should see very few whole beans (having a few adds to the texture).  About an hour or so before serving remove the ham/pork hock and separate the meat from the bones, adding the meat back to the pot.  Try to do this before the ham hock completely falls apart.  Prepare the rice according to your preference.  Serve a cup of beans over half a cup of rice.  Optionally serve with a slice of toasted garlic bread.

Pro tip:  parboil the green bell pepper before finely chopping to remove the skin.  Bring a small pot of water to boil, place bell pepper in boiling water for 10 seconds.  Move the bell pepper to an ice bath, and the skin should come right off!

Please let me know what you think!