Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
Red beans and rice was a traditional meal on laundry day in Louisiana. Homemakers needed an easy-to-prepare meal that allowed them to complete their day-long laundry chores.
Serves 6
1 pound dry, small red beans
2 pounds ham shanks or ham hocks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 cups water
1½ cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce (optional)
Cooked white rice
Place dried beans in a large bowl, and cover them with cold water. Let soak 8 hours or overnight. (To quick soak, put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, covering them by 2 inches, then let them soak 2 hours.) Drain.
Place soaked beans, ham shanks, garlic, chopped onion, and water in a large (8-quart) pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover; simmer 1½ hours or until beans are tender.
Remove ham shanks from the pot to a dish. Let cool slightly, then shred meat away from the bones. Return the meat to the pot of beans. Add celery, bell pepper, Worcestershire and Cajun or Creole seasonings. Cover and cook 1 hour or until mixture gets thick. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Serve over rice.
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Recipe tip
Creole or Cajun?
It’s true that many of their ingredients are similar, but there are vast differences in these two cuisines. Creole cuisine is often described as more “urban” or “city” in nature, combining ingredients from many cultures, including Spanish, French, Italian, German and West African. Cajun cuisine is considered “country” food, with influences from the French and Native Americans.
The Cajuns, from French Canada, brought with them their French cooking techniques and black, cast-iron skillets, and incorporated game and seafood from the Louisiana bayous in their food. Creole cooks, drawing on more varied ingredients in their multicultural, urban locales, were more likely to use tomatoes in many of their dishes. You will seldom find tomatoes in Cajun recipes!