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Red Beans and Rice

In New Orleans, this Creole classic was traditionally served on Monday—laundry day—the idea being that a cook could leave her beans and rice simmering for hours on the stove while she went about her washing. Ham hocks cooked along with the beans give the dish a savory, smoky depth. From: Saveur SERVES 6–8

¼ cup canola oil
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
1 tbsp. ground white pepper
1 tbsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 ½ tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
4 bay leaves
2 smoked ham hocks
1 tbsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Cooked white rice, for serving
Thinly sliced scallions, to garnish

Heat oil in an 8-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic, celery, onions, and peppers, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add white pepper, thyme, oregano, cayenne, and black pepper, and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add beans, bay leaves, ham hocks, and 6 cups water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, until beans and ham hock are tender, about 2 hours. Remove hocks from pot, remove and discard bones and skin, and finely chop meat; return to pot along with hot sauce, and stir until combined. Serve over rice in bowls and sprinkle with scallions.

Leah Chase's Red Beans

Leah Chase: In Madisonville, where I grew up, we would use smoked ham to add flavor to our red beans. In New Orleans, they would use pickled meat. Pickling of pork was done in the Creole community. Pickled ribs with potato salad were popular. The meat was pickled in a brine, more or less, along with seasonings. There is a market in New Orleans that still makes pickled meat, in just this way. They might also use some kind of vinegar. In this red beans recipe, I stick with the smoked meats, just like in the country.
From THE DOOKY CHASE COOKBOOK by Leah Chase. SERVES 6

1 lb. red kidney beans
2 qt. water
1 large onion (chopped)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 lb. smoked ham (cubed)
1 lb. smoked sausages (in 1/2-inch slices)
1 cup water
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp. whole thyme leaves
2 level tbsp. salt

Pick through beans, removing all bad beans or any other particles. Wash beans well. Place beans in a 5-quart pot. Add the 2 quarts of water. Add onions; bring to a boil. Lower heat and let beans boil slowly for 1 hour. When beans are soft, stir well, mashing some against the side of the pot.

Heat oil in frying pan; add ham and sausage. Sauté in oil for 5 mintues. Then add the sausage, ham, and oil to beans. Deglaze pan with the cup of water, then pour into beans. Add all other ingredients. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Beans should be nice and creamy. Serve over rice.