RED BEANS AND RICE

4 to 6 servings (makes about 6 cups)

Authentic versions of this New Orleans staple simmer for hours; here, you can achieve good depth of flavor in less than 1 hour, thanks to the know-how of a New Orleans native.

From David Guas, chefowner of Bayou Bakery Coffee Bar and Eatery in Arlington, Virginia.

8 ounces smoked, cooked

pork sausage

Two 15-ounce cans no-salt-added kidney beans

1 tablespoon canola or

vegetable oil

1 medium green bell

pepper

1 medium sweet onion 6 or 7 scallions

2 cloves garlic

3 cups low-sodium

chicken broth Leaves from 3 full stems fresh thyme (may substitute 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves) 3 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon freshly

ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground

cayenne pepper Leaves from 2 or 3 stems

fresh parsley

1 to 2 teaspoons kosher

salt

Cooked long-grain rice,

for serving

Hot sauce, for serving

Cut the sausage lengthwise in half, then invert and cut into 1/4-inch thick half moons. Drain and rinse the beans.

Heat the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring a few times, so some of its fat renders. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate.

While the sausage cooks, cut the flesh of the green bell pepper into 1/2-inch dice, discarding the stem and seeds. Dice the

onion. Trim the scallions and then coarsely chop (enough to yield 1/2 cup). Mince the garlic. Add those ingredients to the pot (after the sausage has been removed) and stir to coat. Increase the heat to medium-high; cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until just softened, then add beans, broth, thyme, bay leaves and the black and cayenne peppers. Reduce the heat to medium; cover and cook for 25 minutes.

Uncover; use a slotted spoon to fish out and discard the bay leaves. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash about a cup’s worth of the beans against the side of the pot; this will thicken the mix a bit. Coarsely chop the parsley.

Return the reserved sausage to the pot, as soon as it’s heated through, turn off the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste, and add the salt, as needed. Serve hot, with white rice; pass the hot sauce at the table. Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6): 320 calories, 16 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 18 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 530 mg sodium, 7 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugar

PHOTO BY DEB LINDSEY FOR THE WASHINGTON POST This recipe for red beans and rice uses shortcuts such as canned kidney beans and smoked pork sausage instead of a harder-to-find ham hock.