Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound dry red beans
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 3/4 pound Andouille sausage, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup rice, cooked

Directions

Pour the beans into a large bowl, cover with an inch of water, and leave to soak overnight.

In a large pot, such as an enameled cast iron dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat and brown the sausage slices, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Remove and reserve the sausage. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and celery and sauté until soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Add the beans, bay leaves, thyme, cayenne, and enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a strong boil and continue boiling for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, so that the beans are cooking with a gentle simmer.

Once the beans have started to soften but not cooked fully, just over an hour, add the reserved sausage to the beans along with the mustard. Continue to cook until the beans are soft, another 1 - 2 hours. Add more water as needed. Continue cooking until the liquid is more like a thick gravy than a thin soup. Stir in the cooked rice and serve.