Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

Whip up a new dish for your family with the Herald-Guide’s Recipe of the Week.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. duck fat
• 2 tbsp. Creole seasoning
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup andouille sausage, cubed
• 1/2 lb. small red beans (soaked overnight or for at least a few hours)
• 1 tbsp. fresh garlic, minced
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• A bundle of fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp. Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
• 1/2 recipe boiled rice

Directions:
Mix together the “Holy Trinity” – onions, celery, bell pepper. Drain the beans.

Melt the duck fat over medium heat.

Add half of the “Holy Trinity,” 1 tbsp. of the Creole seasoning and the andouille, turn the heat to medium high.

Cook this for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to get some color.

Add the beans and cook stirring occasionally for about five minutes.

Add the chicken stock or water, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, ham hock the remaining “Holy Trinity” and Creole seasoning. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Let this simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The first hour is low maintenance – an occasional stir and making sure the beans are covered with liquid.

The second hour, you want to check back a little more often, the beans will really start to absorb some liquid and you don’t want them to stick.

Remove the ham hock, trim away any meat and add it back to the pot.

After the beans have cooked for two hours, add the tomato Sauce, the parsley and half of the green onions.

Make your rice. Cook the beans for another half hour.

For the chaurice:

Place the link(s) of chaurice sausage in a medium sized cast iron skillet. Cover half way with water and bring to a boil.

Turn often, as the water evaporates until all that is left in the pan is fat from the sausage. Brown the casings of the sausage in the remaining fat, serve hot.

To Serve:

Remove the bay leaves. Mound a half cup of rice each, onto two serving plates, Cover with a generous helping of the red beans. Garnish with the remaining green onions.

Make sure there is a bottle of hot sauce on the table.

Perfect compliments to this meal are a simple vinaigrette salad, a side of chaurice, good, crusty French bread, and your favorite ice-cold beer