Restaurant Style Red Beans And Rice Food

AUTHENTIC LOUISIANA RED BEANS AND RICE

Steps:

• Rinse beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight.
• In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Rinse beans, and transfer to a large pot with 6 cups water. Stir cooked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
• Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve beans over steamed white rice.

CAJUN RED BEANS AND RICE

Steps:

• Place kidney beans in large pot. Add enough water to pot to cover beans by 2 inches. Bring to boil. Remove pot from heat. Cover and let beans stand 1 hour to soften. Drain. Return beans to same pot. Add 7 cups water and chicken broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Drain beans, reserving 2 cups of cooking liquid.
• Heat vegetable oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups onions and saute' until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add sausage, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and saute' until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in beans, reserved 2 cups cooking liquid, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Reduce heat to low; simmer until liquid thickens slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 3/4 cups water, rice, butter, bay leaf, thyme, and remaining 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large saucepan. Bring to simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered 10 minutes.
• Spoon kidney beans into bowls. Top with rice and serve.

RED BEANS AND RICE

Steps:

• For the smoked turkey neck stock: Place the smoked turkey necks and 2 tablespoons salt in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Drain and return the turkey necks to the pot. Add the bay leaf and cover with 10 cups of water. Bring to a simmer, then keep warm while you prepare the red beans ingredients, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the turkey necks and reserve the stock. Set both aside.
• For the red beans: Heat the oil in an 8-quart heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Stir in the celery, onions and peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the thyme, garlic and bay leaves and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the red beans, smoked turkey sausage, Worcestershire sauce and the reserved turkey necks. Add enough turkey stock to fully cover the beans (about 8 cups) and reserve any remaining stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally to keep the beans from sticking, until the beans are tender, and the turkey necks are falling apart, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Uncover the pot, smash some of the beans on the side of the pot with the back of a large metal spoon to make them creamy, then cover and cook for 30 minutes more (see Cook's Note).
• Meanwhile, combine the cayenne, cumin, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper in a small bowl. Combine the green onions and parsley in a small bowl or on your cutting board. Stir the seasoning mixture into the finished beans, taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
• To serve, spoon the beans over a plate of cooked rice. Garnish with the green onions and parsley mixture, sprinkle with hot sauce to taste and serve with garlic bread.

AUTHENTIC, NO SHORTCUTS, LOUISIANA RED BEANS AND RICE

Steps:

• Place the beans and water into a slow cooker. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage in the skillet; remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer to the slow cooker. Reserve drippings. Add onion, green pepper, jalapeno pepper and garlic to the drippings; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer everything from the skillet to the slow cooker.
• Season the mixture with pepper and Creole seasoning. Add the fresh basil leaves and ham hock. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until beans are tender. If the bean mixture seems too watery, take the lid off the slow cooker and set heat to High to cook until they reach a creamy texture.