Recipes were included as
lagniappe in the five books (plus a novella) of the Louisiana Gentlemen series,
published 1998 – 2002. Since that time, I've had hundreds of letters and emails
about KANE, LUKE, ROAN, CLAY, WADE and ADAM -- the majority from people who had
lost track of the books but wanted the recipes again! Posting them here on the
blog will make them available once more for everyone. Slight adjustments have
been made to the originals for clarity and consistency.
This old Louisiana Cajun favorite was often
served on Monday, or wash day, since it could be quickly thrown together and
left to simmer without close attention. The version given is the one I use,
though there are as many recipes for the dish as there are cooks in
Louisiana. What usually happens is that
the contents are adjusted according to the likes and dislikes of the family or
to the ingredients in the cook’s kitchen.
If you’d like to cook Louisiana style, just take this recipe as a
starting point and add your own touches!
RED
BEANS AND RICE
1 pound package red kidney beans
1 pound smoked ham, cubed
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 bay leaves
1 - 2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Creole
Seasoning, to taste
1 teaspoon hickory smoke flavoring (optional)
Salt to taste
Wash beans and place in a heavy, 4 qt sauce
pot. Add ham and cover with water. Add garlic, bell pepper, onion, celery, hot
pepper, and Italian seasoning. Simmer
three to four hours, or until beans are tender and bean liquid has thickened to
the consistency of soup. Adjust salt to
taste. Serve immediately over cooked
rice. Serves 6 – 8.
See recipe for cooking rice below.
Notes:
·
Salt should be added after the beans
have cooked as ham is often very salty and salt is included in Tony Chachere’s Creole
Seasoning as well.
·
1 small hot pepper, minced (or ¼ t.
dried red pepper flakes) and a pinch or two of Italian seasoning may be substituted
for Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. Tony's contains red pepper, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and chili powder if you'd care to make your own seasoning blend.
· Canned red beans or pinto beans
may also be used to cut the cooking time required for the recipe. I sometimes use
Mexican-style re-fried beans for even greater speed.
·
This dish freezes well. Make be garnished with chopped shallots
RICE
Many cooks in Louisiana use electric rice pot for
this and other rice dishes. I used one for years, but recently began to steam
my rice, Chinese style, in an electric steamer. Regardless of how you go about
it, the idea is to produce tender rice with every grain separate. The cooking
method used by old-fashioned cooks like Granny May (from Kane) is:
4 cups water
2 cups long grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Place water, salt and butter in a heavy pot with a tightly fitting lid and bring to a rolling boil. Add rice. Stir quickly with a
fork, and place lid on pot. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes without removing the lid. Fluff
with a fork. Let sit, covered with lid, until ready to serve.
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 | Since publishing her first book at age 27, New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Blake has gone on to write over 65 historical and contemporary novels in multiple genres. She brings the story-telling power and seductive passion of the South to her stories, reflecting her 8th-generation Louisiana heritage. Jennifer lives with her husband in northern Louisiana. |
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