Nola Cuisine

Well it’s Monday again, and I made the traditional New Orleans lunch of Red Beans & Rice, this time with a side of Saturday’s Chaurice sausage. As I’ve said in the past, Red Beans & Rice is always fun for me to cook because I change the recipe everytime I make it. This one was probabaly the best batch I’ve made in years, so I’ll honor it with a side of Louis Armstrong singing and playing Basin Street Blues, because Red Beans & Rice just don’t seem right without Louis Armstrong.
I love reading Red Beans & Rice recipes, even though I can whip up a batch in my sleep, I’m forever browsing different recipes for new ideas. Check out my friend Tim’s recipes at Cooking with Herbsaint Absinthe: Red Beans My way and Creole Style Red Beans & Rice.

Here is my latest Moday creation. The recipe:

Red Beans & Rice Recipe with Chaurice Sausage

2 Tbsp Duck Fat
2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
1 Cup Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 Cup Celery, Chopped
1 Cup Andouille Sausage, Cubed
1/2 lb. Small Red Beans (soaked overnight or for at least a few hours)
1 Tbsp Fresh Garlic, Minced
1 Smoked Ham hock
3 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock (You could certainly use water)
3 Fresh Bay Leaves
A bundle of fresh Thyme
2 Tbsp Homemade Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Crystal Hot sauce
1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce (I learned this from Louis Armstrong’s Recipe)
1 Tbsp Italian Parsley, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced on the bias
1/2 Recipe Creole Boiled Rice

Mix together the Holy Trinity (Onions, Celery, Bell Pepper). Drain the beans.
Melt the duck fat over medium heat.
Add 1/2 of the Holy Trinity, 1 Tbsp of the Creole Seasoning and the Andouille, turn the heat to medium high. Cook this for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to get some color.
Add the beans and cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
Add the Chicken Stock or Water, Garlic, Bay Leaves, Thyme, Ham hock the remaining Trinity and Creole Seasoning. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let this simmer for 2- 2 1/2 Hours. The first hour is low maintenance; an occasional stir and making sure the beans are covered with liquid. The second hour, you want to check back a little more often, the beans will really start to absorb some liquid and you don’t want them to stick.

Remove the Ham hock, trim away any meat and add it back to the pot.
After the beans have cooked for two hours, add the Tomato Sauce, the Parsley and 1/2 of the Green Onions. Make your Rice. Cook the beans for another half hour.

For the Chaurice:
Place the link(s) of Chaurice in a medium sized cast iron skillet. Cover half way with water and bring to a boil. Turn often, as the water evaporates until all that is left in the pan is fat from the sausage. Brown the casings of the sausage in the remaining fat, serve hot.

To Serve:
Remove the Bay Leaves. Mound a half cup of Rice each, onto two serving plates, Cover with a generous helping of the Red Beans, Garnish with the remaining Green Onions. Make sure their is a bottle of hot sauce on the table. Perfect compliments to this meal are a simple vinaigrette salad, a side of Chaurice, Good Crusty French Bread, and your favorite Ice Cold Beer.

As promised, here is the late, great Louis Armstrong performing Basin Street Blues:

More Red Beans & Rice Posts:

Red Beans & Rice Recipe
Red Beans & Rice with Fried Pork Chop
Red Beans & Rice with Louis Armstrong performing Dinah

Be sure and check out my ever growing Index of Creole & Cajun Recipes!

I’m officially addicted to You Tube. So, in honor of Monday, how about two of my favorite things, which are synonymous.

Red Beans & Rice:

The recipe:

Red Beans & Rice

…and Louis Armstrong.

Now if you only know Louis Armstrong from What A Wonderful World and Hello Dolly!, check out this young man, and his raw, ferocious talent!

I finally got around to making my Red Beans & Rice with the Pickle Meat I made recently, like I said, nothing flavors Red Beans as well as Pickle Meat. I also served it with Fried Pork Chops as a side, instead of Chaurice Sausage. I made my Chops a little different than the norm by making them Fried Chicken style, there were no complaints at the table.

Monday Red Beans & Rice Recipe with Pickle Meat and Fried Pork Chops

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
1 Cup Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 Cup Celery, Chopped
1 Cup Andouille Sausage, Cubed
1 Ham Bone
1/2 lb Small Red Beans (soaked overnight or for at least a few hours)
1 Cup Pickle Meat, Cubed
1 Tbsp Fresh Garlic, Minced
3 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock (You could certainly use water)
3 Fresh Bay Leaves
1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce
1 Tbsp Italian Parsley, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced on the bias
1/2 Recipe Creole Boiled Rice

Mix together the Holy Trinity (Onions, Celery, Bell Pepper). Drain the beans.
Melt the butter over medium heat.
Add 1/2 of the Holy Trinity, 1 Tbsp of the Creole Seasoning, and the Andouille, turn the heat to medium high. Cook this for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to get some color.
Add the beans and cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
Add the Chicken Stock or Water, Pickle Meat, the Ham bone, Garlic, Bay Leaves, the remaining Trinity and Creole Seasoning. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let this simmer for 2- 2 1/2 Hours. The first hour is low maintenance; an occasional stir and making sure the beans are covered with liquid. The second hour, you want to check back a little more often, the beans will really start to absorb some liquid and you don’t want them to stick.
After the beans have cooked for two hours, add the Tomato Sauce, the Parsley and 1/2 of the Green Onions. Make your Rice. Cook the beans for another half hour.
To Serve:
Remove the Bay Leaves. Mound a half cup of Rice each, onto two serving plates, Cover with a generous helping of the Red Beans, Garnish with the remaining Green Onions. Make sure their is a bottle of hot sauce on the table. Perfect compliments to this meal are a simple vinaigrette salad, Good Crusty French Bread, and your favorite Ice Cold Beer.

Serves 2-3

Fried Pork Chops Recipe

Pork Chops
Buttermilk (enough to cover)
1 tsp Black Pepper
Kosher Salt & Black pepper
1 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
Oil for frying

Cover the chops with the Buttermilk, mix in the 1 tsp Black Pepper. Marinate for 1 hour.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Remove the Chops from the buttermilk and season liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge in the seasoned flour, shake off any excess. Fry until golden brown and just cooked through, serve alongside Red Beans & Rice.

Other Red Beans & Rice posts:

Red Beans & Rice Recipe (made with Andouille Sausage and Tasso)

Where do I start on this topic? How about Louis Armstrong! This was his comfort food, his “birthright” as he once said, as I’m sure it is for many New Orleanians. He actually used to sign his name Red Beans and Ricely Yours, Louis Armstrong. I’ve been a huge Louis Armstrong fan since I discovered him when I was a kid, so it’s hard not to think of him when eating a big plate of Red Beans. I’ve tracked down two different red beans recipes from Louis Armstrong which I will share in the future.
Everyone has their own recipe for Red Beans & Rice, just like most great New Orleans classics, most of which probably change a little with each cooking, usually depending on either:
what’s in the refrigerator, or what looked good at the store.
This one is made with my homemade Tasso, and homemade Andouille Sausage, so it has a rich, down home smoky flavor.
This traditional Monday lunch in New Orleans, stems from lean times, and a good cook’s sense of how to make something, out of nothing! It’s my absolute favorite thing to cook, I make it once a week, usually on Monday, staying with tradition. I never follow a recipe, but you can always find nine, or so, cookbooks open on my table when I’m cooking it. I always search for a new technique, they almost always turn out good, but once in awhile, there is magic in the pot.
So here is some traditional Monday comfort food, and anyone who loves New Orleans, can certainly use any comfort they can get these days.

Red Beans & Ricely Yours - Danno

Red Beans & Rice Recipe

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
1 Cup Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 Cup Celery, Chopped
1 Cup Andouille Sausage, Cubed
1 Cup Tasso, Cubed
1/2 lb. Small Red Beans (soaked overnight or for at least a few hours)
1 Tbsp Fresh Garlic, Minced
3 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock (You could certainly use water)
3 Fresh Bay Leaves
1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar (When I don’t use Pickle Meat, I add a little vinegar because I like the flavor it lends. Pickle Meat makes wonderful Red Beans by the way; recipe forthcoming.)
1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce (I learned this from Louis Armstrong’s Recipe)
1 Tbsp Italian Parsley, Finely Chopped
1/4 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced on the bias
1/2 Recipe Creole Boiled Rice

Mix together the Holy Trinity (Onions, Celery, Bell Pepper). Drain the beans.
Melt the butter over medium heat.
Add 1/2 of the Holy Trinity, 1 Tbsp of the Creole Seasoning, Tasso, and the Andouille, turn the heat to medium high. Cook this for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to get some color.
Add the beans and cook stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
Add the Chicken Stock or Water, Garlic, Bay Leaves, the remaining Trinity and Creole Seasoning. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let this simmer for 2- 2 1/2 Hours. The first hour is low maintenance; an occasional stir and making sure the beans are covered with liquid. The second hour, you want to check back a little more often, the beans will really start to absorb some liquid and you don’t want them to stick.
After the beans have cooked for two hours, add the Tomato Sauce, the Parsley and 1/2 of the Green Onions. Make your Rice. Cook the beans for another half hour.
To Serve:
Remove the Bay Leaves. Mound a half cup of Rice each, onto two serving plates, Cover with a generous helping of the Red Beans, Garnish with the remaining Green Onions. Make sure their is a bottle of hot sauce on the table. Perfect compliments to this meal are a simple vinaigrette salad, Good Crusty French Bread, and your favorite Ice Cold Beer.

Serves 2-3