Drunken Red Beans and Rice
Originally published at Kitchengeeks. You can comment here or there.
Last night for D&D, I made a variant of Red Beans and Rice we call “‘Drunken’ Red Beans and Rice.” It combines a classic recipe with an interesting twist: hydrating the beans with red wine instead of water. The red wine flavor comes out nicely in the beans after cooking.
1 pound dried red kidney beans
1 bottle red wine (Cabernet work well, but any wine you would normally happily drink is a good choice)
1 pound smoked sausage, diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 or 2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 cups beef broth
1 large bay leaf
3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
Salt and black pepper to taste
(Optional) 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped, or more to taste
(Optional) 1/4 cup chopped green onions (green part only)
Hot cooked rice for serving
Hot sauce for serving
Pick over the beans to remove any stones or broken beans. Place the beans in a large bowl and pour the red wine over them. If there is not at least 1 to 2 inches of liquid over the beans, add water until they are covered to at least that depth. Soak overnight. Drain the liquid, rinse the beans, drain again, and set aside.
Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven and cook the sausage over medium heat until it begins to sear, then remove the meat and set aside. Saute the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the beans, return the meat to the pan, and pour in the beef broth. Be sure there is enough liquid to cover everything by at least a couple of inches, adding water or more broth if necessary. Bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf and Creole seasoning to the beans, then reduce to a simmer and gently cook, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are tender.
Toward the end of the cooking time, mash some beans with a spoon against the side of the pot to make the mixture creamier, if desired, and add the salt and pepper to taste. If using the parsley and green onion, add them now or offer as a garnish on the side. Discard the bay leaf and serve in bowls over white rice. Pass the hot sauce.