Monday : Red Beans and Rice

Old habits die hard. New Orleanians continue, with ritualistic fervor, to consume red beans and rice on Mondays. Spicy Caribbean recipes for beans and rice were brought to the city in the late 1700s by French-speaking Haitians fleeing the revolution in Saint Domingue (modern-day Haiti).

Local housewives and housekeepers quickly adapted the thrifty, convenient practice of tossing meaty ham bones leftover from Sunday suppers into simmering pots of red kidney beans that could be left to cook, undisturbed, over a low flame for hours – leaving them free to engage in the arduous Monday drudgery that was “laundry day.” Despite the modern convenience of washing machines and dryers, the Monday red beans tradition continues today, often in a slow cooker while the cook is at the office.

Those disinclined to cook the Monday staple themselves need only walk a block or two to a local eatery; red beans and rice is one of New Orleans’ few iconic dishes to be commonly cooked both in people’s homes and in restaurants.

Red beans are great when cooked down with meat, and modern cooks are as apt to season their pots with smoked sausage (preferably andouille), pickled pork, or a store-bought smoked ham hock as they are the leftover ham of Sunday suppers gone by. Restaurants frequently offer grilled sausage, a fried or grilled pork chop, or even fried chicken alongside the traditional plate of red beans and rice.

• 1 (1-pound) package Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans

• 1 (32-ounce) container no-sodium chicken broth

• Water, as needed

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 bell pepper, chopped

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

• 4 celery stalks, chopped

• 1-3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 pound of tasso, smoked ham, or pickled pork or a large ham hock

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• Hot sauce to taste

• Creole seasoning to taste

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 6 cups white or brown rice, cooked

Total time:

4 hours, 30 minutes

Prep time:

30 minutes

Cook time:

4 hours

Yield:

6-8

Directions:

1. Rinse and sort beans. (Optional: Soak beans using your preferred method.)

2. Place beans in a large stew pot and cover with chicken broth. If needed, add fresh water so that mixture is a ratio of 1 part beans to 2 parts liquid.

3. Bring the beans to a rolling boil, then lower heat, and simmer for 1-2 hours, or until tender. Stir often, (so that beans don't stick to bottom of pot) and add water as needed.

4. Brown the meat in a skillet. Remove meat and set aside. In the drippings in skillet, sauté onions, celery, parsley and bell pepper until tender. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add meat, sautéed vegetables, bay leaf and thyme to the beans. Water should cover all.

5. Continue to simmer for 1-3 hours, until beans are tender and creamy (continue to stir and avoid burning on bottom of pot).

6. To make creamier beans, remove 2 or 3 cups of beans from the pot, puree them with a mixer or blender, and return to pot. Add hot sauce, salt, pepper and/or Creole seasoning to taste.

7. Serve over rice.