Momma Babet’s Red Beans and Rice
To make your own Louisiana-style red beans and rice, follow this recipe.
Ingredients:
2 pounds dried red (kidney) beans, rinsed
2 cups ham, chopped
1 pound Polish kielbasa sausage, cooked and sliced
¾ cup celery, chopped
¾ cup green bell pepper, chopped
10 cups chicken stock
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
3 bay leaves, large
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Pinch of cayenne powder
Shake of garlic powder
Glug of olive oil
Directions:
Put the red beans into a large bowl and fill the bowl with water. The beans are going to
soak up the water, so make sure that there’s at least 2 – 3 inches (5 – 7 centimeters) of
water on top of the beans. Let the beans soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours. Strain the
beans and set aside.
Pour a glug of olive oil into a large pot. Heat the oil to a medium-high heat and add the
chopped celery and green pepper. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add the ham and onion
powder. Stir and cook until the flavors are blended and the vegetables are tender. Add the
sausage, garlic powder and thyme. Stir and cook for another two minutes. Add the stock,
beans, bay leaves, salt, pepper and cayenne powder. Bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat for
about 2 hours.
After about an hour of cooking, use the back of a wooden spoon to mash up as many beans
as you can against the side of the pot. This will make the sauce richer and thicker.
Serve your red beans over a bed of white rice. You might want to remove the bay leaves
before serving.
Enjoy!