"the Gumbo Pages" Traditional Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 lb red beans or red kidney beans, dry
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 5 celery ribs, chopped
• 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, more to taste (traditional way use 1 large smoked ham hock, or 3/4 lb. smoked ham, diced, for seasoning)
• 1-1 1/2 lb mild or hot smoked turkey sausage or turkey andouille sausage, sliced on the bias (more traditional is just regular sausage or andouille)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
• 1-2 bay leaves
• as many dashes Crystal hot sauce, to taste or Tabasco sauce, as you like to taste
• 3-6 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere's)
• salt
• cooked rice (I serve it over brown rice, but traditional is white)

Directions

1. 1

   Soak the beans overnight, if possible. The next day, drain and put fresh water in the pot. (This helps reduce the flatulence factor.)

2. 2

   Bring the beans to a rolling boil. Make sure the beans are always covered by water, or they will discolor and get hard. Boil the beans for about 45 - 60 minutes, until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain.

3. 3

   While the beans are boiling, sauté the Trinity (onions, celery, bell pepper) until the onions turn translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. 4

   After the beans are boiled and drained, add the sautéed vegetables to the beans, then add the liquid smoke (or ham hock), smoked sausage/turkey sausage, seasonings, and just enough water to cover.

5. 5

   Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 2 hours at least, preferably 3, until the whole thing gets nice and creamy. I taste the broth at around 1.5 hours and adjust seasonings as they cook down. Stir occasionally, making sure that it doesn't burn and/or stick to the bottom of the pot.

6. 6

   NOTE: If the beans are old -- say, older than six months to a year -- they won't get creamy. Make sure the beans are reasonably fresh. If it's still not getting creamy, take 1 or 2 cups of beans out and mash them, then return them to the pot and stir.

7. 7

   If you can -- let the beans cool, stick them in the fridge, and reheat and serve for dinner the next day. They'll taste a LOT better. When you do this, you'll need to add a little water to get them to the right consistency.

8. 8

   Serve generous ladles-ful over hot white long-grain rice, with good French bread. I also have a bottle of hot sauce on the side for those who like it spicy!