Fat Tuesday + A Recipe

My mom and her side of the family are all New Orleans natives, so I have a particular attachment to that city and its unique culture. Of course today marks the official day of Mardi Gras, being Fat Tuesday and all. Since we couldn't go to New Orleans to celebrate with the family (in a clean fashion, no Bourbon St Mardi Gras for us!), Matt & I made my grandmother's recipe of red beans & rice! 

Source

I've never made it before but it is so easy, so delicious, and makes tons of leftovers so I count that as a win! It's best to let the beans soak overnight, so you may not be able to make it for today, but that shouldn't stop you from trying an easy New Orleans recipe!




Ingredients:

-1 lb dried red beans

-1 onion

-1 bell pepper

-stick butter

-salt, pepper, sage, rosemary, bay leaf

-1 lb smoky sausage, sliced, or a ham hock (we used smoked turkey sausage)

Directions:

-Rinse the beans then put them in a pot and cover them with water, filling the pot to about an inch or so over the beans. Cover and let sit overnight.

I must give a shout-out to my amazing photographer, Matt :)

 

After sitting all night... definitely a different color and the beans grew! Like magic...

 -Next day, drain the water from the bean pot and refill it with even more water. Set it on the stove over medium heat to start boiling.


-In the meantime, slice your bell pepper, onion, and sausage. Saute the veggies in butter while waiting for the water to boil

-Once the water is boiling and the veggies are soft, throw the veggies & sausage into the pot and stir well. 

-Add your seasonings, stir it around, then let it cook for 5 minutes. Taste it and adjust your seasonings accordingly. What kind of taste are you looking for? Whatever is good for you :)

-Cover the pot and let it cook for several hours, at least 1.5 to 2 hours. Once the beans are soft and the broth has turned the color of the beans, you have 2 options to get the broth thicker:
1) Add 1/4 to 1/2 stick of butter and stir every 5 minutes to let it cook
AND/OR
2) Smush several beans (about 50-100 or so) up against the side of the pot and mix well, again stirring every 5 minutes


-Let it cook 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally (in 5 minute intervals), while you prepare your rice.


-Serve over rice and enjoy!

I was quite happy with our first solo attempt at red beans, I was just missing having some king cake for dessert!