We also love New Orleans red beans and rice! I think this recipe tastes closest to the real thing. I have made it many times and it's always perfect.

Here is a link that might be useful: Red Beans and Rice recipe from food.com

Tobyt, this is the recipe that I have been using ever since visiting NOLA in the early '80s. Source is a 'picture postcard' distributed by Express Publishing Co, NOLA. As written:

Red Beans and Rice

1 ham bone
1/2 pound ham, cubed
1 lb. dried red beans
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped green onions, tops and bottoms
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup butter
Salt & cayenne pepper to taste (*Caution w/ salt dependent on how salty the ham is.)

Kidney beans will do, but small dark red beans are better. Put them in a heavy pot with enough water to cover, bring to a rolling boil for a couple of minutes, then soak overnight in the same water. In the morning, bring to a boil again and add all other ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 3 hours. The ham bone is important for flavor. Be sure beans are not old. They should become very creamy, but most will remain whole. Add cold water as needed. Goes well with smoked sausage and sliced raw onions.

Serve over fluffy long grain rice cooked as follows: Bring 3 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Add salt, one tablespoon of oil and one of vinegar, and one cup of rice. Oil will keep water from boiling over and vinegar will let each grain fall to itself. Reduce heat an simmer exactly 18 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse off excess starch with cold water and steam in colander until well warmed again.

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* indicates my notes

I've always omitted the butter and I just cooked rice and didn't use the recipe. Lately, I've taken to cooking rice in the pressure cooker. That said, next time I make this, I'm going to try cooking the rice according to the recipe instructions...I'm curious to see if the vinegar trick works to keep the grains separate.

Oh, and I never fuss with the cubed ham, always leaving a ham bone 'meaty' knowing it's going to be used in a soup of some kind. All I really want is the ham flavor in RB&R...don't care for having chunks of meat in it.

Probably goes w/o saying, but Tabasco is a requisite condiment for the table when you serve Red Beans & Rice. I like to accompany with a crusty baguette.

Grew up in New Orleans and would only correct a couple small things on the linked recipe. You should use equal amounts of the "holy trinity" ...celery,onion,green pepper. You never put anything even remotely hot in red beans to cook them. So no cayenne. You do put the ham hocks in to cook...make sure and cut off every bit of fat..it has a foul taste and the meat near it will also taste terrible after cooking , so trim them well and add to the beans and let them cook till tender and the hocks are falling apart.

Do not put in the sausage while initially cooking the beans. By the time the beans are done the sausage will have no flavor or texture left. Brown the sausage and serve laid on the side of the soup plate that you are serving the beans in. Have Crystal Hot Sauce to serve over the finished dish on each person's plate. No other brand will work :)

That's it...you have to have thyme and bay leaves...don't use any other spice. OH and I almost forgot you must use Camellia brand dried beans...Walmart now carries them no other red beans work and you never use kidney beans ...yuck.

I think that is all !! Good Luck. c

Here's my easy recipe. I typically use it over quinoa instead of rice. A pot is simmering right now!

2 cans red beans, rinsed
Fat free chicken broth
4 ribs celery, chopped fine
2-3 cloves gsrlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped fine
about 5 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 pkg spicy cooked sausage of some type: turkey or andouille
2-3 tsp Tony Chachere's creole seasoning; ground pepper

Cook onion in oil until translucent; add celery, pepper, and garlic and cook until tender. Add cut up sausage, red beans, and spices. Add enough chicken broth to cover. Bring to boil; simmer uncovered 1 hour.

Toby, Ravencajun at the Table makes a good sounding one often. I know that kidney beans are not used, and I don't know if we can even get the right red beans in Canada.

trailrunner,
No garlic?

I thought the beans in the red beans and rice that I had were smaller than regular kidney beans, now I see why. I don't think I've ever seen red beans up here, canned or dried. Kidney beans, navy beans, black beans, pinto beans, lima beans - what would you use if red beans were not an option? I can look at Walmart in Bellingham next time I'm down in the States, but it is only a few miles from the Canadian border, so not sure they would have them either. Rats! I have the ham hock and a terrible craving!
J

A similar dish called Gallo Pinto is eaten daily in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The only difference between the Gallo Pintos of the two countries is that small red beans are used in Nicaragua, whereas black beans are used in Costa Rica. If you can't find small red beans, you might want to try Black Beans and Rice.

Jim

toby ...just drop by my SIL and BIL on Lake Whatcom...they are old NOLA folks and if he doesn't have every thing you ever wanted to make real New Orleans food I would be amazed LOL. He can cook everything. I checked on line and the Walmart in Bellingham doesn't have the Camellia brand beans but they are easy to order on line...see link. Cajun Grocer.

luvs...nope no garlic...funny huh...but you never put in garlic in red beans. Just the holy trinity and the dried thyme...not too much of that as it will be bitter and the bay leaves...not too many of them. It is all very subtle and depends on the quality of the beans ...hence using the good dry ones and the hamhocks.

Traditionally these are made on Monday since that is laundry day and you needed to make something that didn't require any looking after and could cook all day. It is not a fancy dish and has very few ingredients .

In a real pinch you can use Blue Runner canned beans...mind you this is only if you are desperate LOL. They are the only good brand of canned red beans. Nothing else can be subbed. Good Luck !!

Here is a link that might be useful: camellia red beans