← Nouns Cooking · American

Ingredients

• 450 g dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight, drained
• 4 slices Bacon, diced
• 350 g andouille or other smoked sausage, sliced into 1 cm rounds
• 1 smoked ham hock (about 500 g) (optional)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp Dried thyme
• 1 tsp Smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp cayenne, or to taste
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 l chicken stock
• 500 ml Water
• 2 tsp Louisiana hot sauce, plus more to serve
• 2 tsp Cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 400 g long-grain white rice, cooked, to serve
• 3 Spring onion, sliced

Method

1. Cover the beans with plenty of cold water and leave them to soak for 8 hours or overnight, then drain and rinse.
2. Cook the bacon in a large heavy pot over medium heat for 5 min, until the fat runs. Add the sausage and brown it for 5 min, then lift both out with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind.
3. Add the onion, pepper and celery to the pot and cook for 8 min, until soft. Stir in the garlic, thyme, paprika, cayenne and black pepper for 1 minute.
4. Add the beans, ham hock (if using), bay leaves, stock and water. Bring to the boil for 10 min, then lower the heat, partly cover and simmer gently for 1½–2 hours, stirring now and then and adding a splash of water if it gets thick, until the beans are completely tender.
5. Fish out the ham hock and bay leaves. Mash about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot with a spoon and stir them in; this is what makes the sauce creamy.
6. Shred any meat from the hock and return it with the bacon and sausage. Simmer uncovered for 15 min more, until thick and gravy-like, then stir in the hot sauce and vinegar and season with salt.
7. Spoon over hot rice and scatter with spring onions, with extra hot sauce at the table.

Tips

• Dried kidney beans must boil hard for at least 10 minutes to destroy a natural toxin, so never cook them only on a low simmer or in a slow cooker from raw.
• Check that your sausage and stock are gluten-free if that matters; some contain wheat fillers.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Once Upon a Chef The Modern Proper Jo Cooks