Long-simmering red beans practically cook themselves, a fact that didn’t escape the many generations of hardworking Louisiana Creole women who supposedly made this dish every Monday, on laundry day. Even now, many Creole restaurants serve red beans and rice as a lunch special on Mondays.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8 to 10

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 pound smoked ham, cut into 1-inch chunks

　　2 onions, chopped

　　2 red or green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped

　　2 garlic cloves, smashed

　　2 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) dried red beans, soaked in water overnight and drained

　　1 cup chopped fresh parsley

　　2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

　　4 bay leaves

　　1 tablespoon fresh thyme

　　1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

　　1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

　　3 generous dashes of hot sauce, plus more for serving

　　Sea salt

　　1 pound andouille sausage, sliced

　　Steamed long-grain white rice or Carolina Gold Rice (page 215)

　　4 scallions, trimmed and minced

　　

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until sizzling hot (see Know-how, page 100). Add the ham and cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until it begins to brown. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes more, until the onions are soft and light brown and the peppers are brightly colored and tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly.

　　

Step 2

Add the beans, 1/2 cup of the parsley, the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the thyme, the red pepper flakes, black pepper, hot sauce, and salt to taste. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches and simmer, uncovered, for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Add more water if needed; the beans should always be covered by at least 1 inch of water.

　　

Step 3

When the beans are tender, remove the bay leaves, stir in the sausage and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, and cook for about 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the beans develop a thick, creamy gravy. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup parsley and season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.

　　

Step 4

Serve hot over a bed of steamed white rice or Carolina Gold Rice, garnished with the scallions and with extra hot sauce on the side.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.