Matt Horn’s Red Beans and Rice recipe hails straight from the South
Start soaking the beans for this classic Southern dish the night before, then give them a long, low simmer with aromatics and andouille in this easy recipe from the new "Kowbird" cookbook.
Matt Horn’s newest cookbook — “Kowbird: Amazing Chicken Recipes from Chef Matt Horn’s Restaurant and Home Kitchen” (Quarto Publishing Group, $25), due out May 28 — combines recipes from his chicken-centric Kowbird eatery and his family’s recipe files. That’s especially true of this one for a Southern classic.
“Every Monday — whether in the bayou or bustling streets of Louisiana’s cities — a pot of simmering spices and beans turns Sunday’s leftovers into Monday’s feast,” he writes. “This humble dish … reminds us that the simplest ingredients create the richest flavors and memories.”
Start soaking the beans the night before, then give it a long, low simmer to reach tender perfection. Serve it with hot cornbread on the side.
Red Beans and Rice
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried red beans, covered in water by 2 inches and soaked overnight
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked rice, still hot
DIRECTIONS
Rinse and drain the soaked beans.
In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Add the beans, sausage, bay leaf and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour in enough water to cover the mixture by 2 inches.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are tender.
Serve the beans over hot cooked rice. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.
— Recipe from KOWBIRD by Matt Horn. Copyright 2024 Quarto Publishing Group USA. Used by permission.