red beans
Eat this on Mardi Gras
theory
This dish is also colloquially called "red beans and rice" because it is served over rice. And so you should serve it over rice.
equipments
- bowl
- sieve
- stove
- heavy stock pot
- pot lid
- wooden spoon
- chopping block
- kitchen knife
- towel
ingredients
- red beans
- good olive oil
- onions
- garlic
- stalks of celery
- bell pepper
- parsley
- dried herbs:
- basil
- bay leaf
- oregano
- rosemary
- sage
- tarragon
- thyme
- salt, pepper
recipe
- soak beans overnight in bowl
- peel, trim, and chop garlic
- peel, trim, and chop onions
- gently under cool water rinse and scrub the stalks of celery, and pat them dry; trim them, slice them sagittally, and chop the slices
- also wash and scrub and pat dry the pepper, cut away the stem of it and its cap, shake out its seeds and cut away its pith, and chop its flesh
- chop, shred, and mince the parsley
- place the pot on the stove over medium high heat and pour in it a goodly amount of oil
- when you can smell the oil, add the onions to the pot, stir for a few minutes, season with salt, stir some more, then add the garlic; stir for a few minutes, then add the celery and pepper; stir for a few minutes, the add the parsley
- stir the vegetables for a few minutes more, then drain the beans, rinse them, and add them to the pot
- stir the beans around to incorporate among the frying vegetables, then add all of the dried herbs and some salt and pepper, and pour in cool water to thoroughly cover the beans, and then some
- when the pot comes to the boil, reduce the heat to low, place the lid askance atop the pot, and let everything simmer for a few hours, perhaps as many as four or five, stirring only periodically -- it need not be often disturbed
- towards the end, you may mash some of the red beans against the inside of the pot or its bottom to help accelerate the thickening of the stew
- stir in some more salt and pepper
- turn off the stove, and serve