RED BEANS AND RICE
I’ve had a mild obsession with red beans and rice since my first visit to New Orleans ages ago. There’s nothing better than that smoky, savory, soupy stew surrounding a tall mound of fluffy rice. It’s pretty much the ultimate comfort food.
I know I share this belief with countless others around the world: Rice is the absolute ideal partner to any sort of beans. I never understood why my family made fun of me for cooking my own little mini pot of rice to have with chili, but my taste buds were always more than happy to ignore the critics. In this dish, the rice and beans are together by tradition and design, so of course I love it!
Red beans and rice have a great and rich tradition in Louisiana’s Creole cuisine. It’s a dish that involves slow- cooking beans and aromatics with, perhaps, a ham bone to impart deep flavor. I don’t present this version as traditional or authentic, but more the result of tinkering to capture at least a bit of the flavor of one of my favorite dishes. It’s a simplified version that references the delicious original, but is much quicker to make and perhaps a bit Bay Area-ified.
I realized after a few iterations that mouthfeel is really important in this dish. The beans have to be thick yet soupy. Adding half whole beans and half pureed beans turned out to be the perfect consistency for me. I like a combination of red ( kidney) beans and pink (pinto) beans but feel free to follow your preferences.
I have also played with different kinds of protein here, including Portuguese linguica, ham, andouille and even vegetarian soy-based chorizo — and they’re all just fine. As the spirit of this dish is homey and frugal, just use what you have on hand. This is a wonderful recipe, too, for stretching just
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