Red Beans And Rice

Total Time: 96 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 96 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 lb dried red kidney beans
• 2 quarts cold water
• 1 meaty ham bone or 1 slice raw ham, cubed (thick slice)
• 1/2 lb hot sausage, sliced thick (i use pepperoni)
• 1 bunch scallion, including green tops
• 1 green pepper
• 2 stalks celery
• 3 medium onions
• 1/8 teaspoon thyme
• 4 bay leaves
• hot pepper sauce (i use louisiana or franks)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• cooked rice

Recipe

• 1 rinse kidney beans twice.
• 2 put in large heavy pot (at least 3qt size).
• 3 add water, ham, and sausage.
• 4 set uncovered on burner at medium heat.
• 5 chop and add scallions, green peppers, celery, and onions.
• 6 add thyme and bay leaves.
• 7 when mixture boils, reduce heat and cover.
• 8 stir every 20-30 minutes for three hours.
• 9 then, with wooden spoon, mash about 1/4 of beans against side of pot.
• 10 if they don't mash easily try again in about a half an hour.
• 11 fort minutes after mashing beans, taste and season with hot pepper sauce.
• 12 don't use too much-- supposed to be a subtle flavor.
• 13 cook another half hour while preparing rice.
• 14 ladle beans and sauce over rice (the vegetables should have pretty much cooked away and the mashed beans thicken the sauce to a creamy consistency).
• 15 it is even better the next day.