Red Beans & Rice
This beloved dish is said to have originated with African-American cooks on Louisiana plantations. It was often made on Mondays (laundry day) because the one-pot meal could be seasoned with Sunday's ham bone and left to simmer for hours. When the laundry was done, so was dinner.
Today, "red and white" is a New Orleans favorite that you will find everywhere, from home kitchens to fine restaurants, including Dooky Chase's, whose version we have adapted here. The use of a pressure cooker speeds the cooking process.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 lb. smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 quarts water
- 1 lb. red kidney beans
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Steamed white rice for serving
- Hot sauce for serving
Directions
In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the sausage and ham and cook until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage and ham to a plate.Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer the onion mixture to a pressure cooker, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Add the water, beans, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, sausage and ham to the pressure cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the beans are soft, about 33 minutes. Release the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Remove the bay leaf and discard. Using the back of a spoon, mash some of the beans against the side of the cooker and stir to thicken the broth. Serve in individual bowls over rice. Garnish with a few drops of hot sauce. Serves 8 to 10.
Adapted from a recipe by Leah Chase, Chef/Owner, Dooky Chase's Restaurant, New Orleans.
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Rated 5 out of
5
by
Chef Laurie from
These beans make me a STAR ⭐️
First, I don't have a pressure cooker. I use a LeCruset dutch oven. I boil a leftover ham bone about 2 hours, save the stock. I pull off the meat, set aside. I sauté my sausage and onions together, add in the garlic and thyme. I add the beans (red camellias) and sauté them in the fat. Then I add the ham stock, another sprig of thyme a bay leaf, cover and cook til the beans are tender. I mash ½-1 cup with a tsp or two of cornstarch then add it back into the pot with the chopped ham and parsley. Let it thicken and serve. YUM!
Date published: 2017-03-26
Rated 5 out of
5
by
LoveU2 from
Great base recipe to cook in Dutch oven
My husband is from the south and he loves red beans and rice. After visiting family in Louisiana, I needed to make it. After reading many recipes, I chose this WS recipe.
I used Andouille sausage and smoked ham. I do have a pressure cooker but I prefer slow stove top cooking in a Dutch oven.
I soaked my red beans for 24 hrs. I browned the ham and sausage, sautéed the onions and garlic and then added everything else into the Dutch oven. Instead of water I used chicken stock. I brought it to a boil and then simmered for 3 hours. The smell is fantastic! Served over basmati rice and yummy! This even tastes better the next day, more flavor.
Date published: 2017-02-13
Rated 4 out of
5
by
peteypie from
it worked for me
I found the 33 minutes to be spot on for cooking time for beans.
What the recipe forgot to mention is that this is AFTER pressure cooker comes to pressure THEN start counting the 33min. I imagine this is where the mistake was made for others.
I'm also confused by cooking the sausage and onions in the saute then transferring to pressure cooker. Why not just sear it in the pressure cooker then dont have to dirty another pan needlessly? .. I did.
Flavor is good. I prefer smoked ham hock in my beans and I recommend you try it if the ingredient is available.
I would recommend this recipe and will continue to use it as it is quite similar to other RB recipes I have used
flavor 5 star
recipe 3 star(unclear on pressure cooker time)
overall 4 star
Date published: 2015-11-20
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Auyanna from
Great for a Big Crowd
This is a great recipe for a lot of people. I have made this several times. For a more added depth of flavor, add chicken stock.. I don't have a pressure cooker but soak the beans overnight and they won't take as long to cook.
Date published: 2013-12-01
Rated 1 out of
5
by
MinnieMoose from
Beans Hard as Rocks
I was skeptical of this recipe, since I've always been told never to salt beans before cooking. Lo and behold! I open the pressure cooker after following this recipe to the letter, and my beans are as hard as rocks. Thanks for making me waste all that money on ingredients, WS!
Date published: 2013-01-29
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Oroonie from
The Best Red bean & Rice recipe I've found
I used smoked andouille sausage..along with the ham. I couldn't find dried red kidney beans .I used 3 cans of red kidney beans drained..and just 1 qt of water. I don't have a pressure cooker so at the point of transferring I used a large pot and baked @325 f for about 4 hours. My husband and I had this two nights in a row.. and loved it....
Date published: 2013-01-06
Rated 5 out of
5
by
sal101 from
Family loves it!
This is an amazingly good recipe. I have been making it for several years now. I cook it for about two hours in a deep cast iron skillet after soaking the beans. I find the meat gets a little mushy if cooked in the pressure cooker. Also, I make the herb mix in advance using fresh herbs, then freeze it in recipe sized portions in small plastic bags with all the air removed from them. That way you can buy the herbs fresh, and then have them ready for the next batch.
A few times, I have used the leftovers for something like a seafood gumbo by adding some veggies and various kinds of shellfish to it then reheating it. I like it, but my family likes it just the way it is without anything else added to it. It is good with Jasmine rice, and fabulous with Try Me (R) Cajun Sunshine.
Date published: 2012-02-15
Rated 4 out of
5
by
ymwelcom from
Very flavorful meal
I don't have a pressure cooker and put everything in the slow cooker.
I used the smoked ham steak and the flavor of ham itself became bland as it all came out into the broth which was very good though.
I just served with cornbread and it was an excellent meal!
Date published: 2012-01-06