New Orleans special Red beans and rice for lunch

Press, 29 July 1987, Page 17

New Orleans special Red beans and rice for lunch

Alison Hoist’s Food | Facts t

‘‘Red beans and Rice” is a traditional New Orleans recipe. Don’t be put off this recipe by its unexciting name, because it is much more interesting than it sounds! It appeared on nearly every menu I saw in New Orleans, and was often ordered by visitors and locals. I enjoyed it for breakfast at a roadside cafe, but would more usually serve it for a weekend lunch or light dinner. Without the cooked sausage or meat, which is added at the end, it makes a good vegetarian meal.

Don’t worry too much

about the texture of the final bean mixture. If it is a bit sloppy you can always serve it, over cooked rice in a soup bowl, but the mixtures I saw and tasted were more the consistency of spaghetti sauce.

The flavour of the sauce improves with standing, so you can make it before you need it. The one thing that you should not do is under-cook it. For four to six servings you need:

2 cups (350 g dried red

beans 6 cups water 50g butter

3 onions, chopped 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped P/ 2 cup chopped parsley 2 bay leaves iy t tsp thyme

12 drops hot pepper sauce (or chill to taste) 4.5 frankfurters, sliced . 1 Isp , , . 2 cups long grain rice

Put the beans with the next 9 ingredients, in a large saucepan. Cover, leaving the lid ajar, and simmer for 3-4 hours, until the beans are quite soft and mushy, forming a thick, stew-like sauce. Add the salt and sliced frankfurters (or any other cooked meat) and turn the heat very low. Simmer very gently for 10 minutes then taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more herbs if you like. Remove the bayleaves.

Cook the rice, and serve the bean mixture over it. Top each serving with a knob of butter if you like.