cajun red beans & rice
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound dried red kidney beans
- 1 pound spicy smoked pork sausage such as andouille or kielbasa
- 2 green bell peppers
- 2 ribs celery
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups long-grain rice
DIRECTIONS
- place the beans in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water by 2 inches and place over high heat. boil for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and let soak for 1 hour.
- slice the sausage on a sharp diagonal into 1/2-inch lengths. core the peppers and cut them into 1-inch pieces. dice the celery and rough chop the onion and garlic. add the sausage, all of the vegetables, and the bay leaf to a 6-7 quart slow cooker. drain the beans and add them to the cooker. pour in enough water to just cover the ingredients, about 1-1/2 quarts. cook, covered, on the low setting for about 6 hours until the beans are soft and are starting to break apart. with a large spoon, ladle off and discard some of the liquid if the mixture is too runny; stir the beans, smashing some of them against the side of the cooker insert to thicken the liquid.
- season to taste with cayenne, plenty of salt, and black pepper. continue to cook, uncovered, on the high setting for 1 hour.
- meanwhile, rinse the rice in several changes of cold water, until the water runs clear. place in a 2-quart saucepan with 2 cups cold water and 1 teaspoon salt. bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover the pot and lower the heat to the lowest possible temperature. simmer for 14 minutes. remove from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. re-cover the pot and let the rice sit for 5 minutes.
- spoon the rice onto serving plates and top with the beans and sausage. serve hot.
