Red Beans and Rice

The night before, soak the kidney beans in plenty of cold water for at least 8 hours.

Slice the sausage into rounds. Chop the onion, green pepper and celery, finely chop the garlic and slice the spring onions.

Brown the sliced sausage in the oil and lift it out.

Soften the chopped onion, green pepper and celery in the fat for 8 minutes, then add the chopped garlic.

Drain the soaked beans and add them with the ham hock, if using, the bay, thyme, Cajun seasoning and 2 l of the water, enough to cover by 5 cm. Bring to the boil and boil hard for 10 minutes: raw kidney beans contain a toxin that only a full boil destroys.

Lower the heat, half cover the pot and simmer gently for 2 to 2.5 hours, stirring now and then and adding a splash of hot water if the beans start to catch, until they are completely soft.

Mash about a third of the beans against the side of the pot. This is what makes the gravy creamy — no cream involved.

Return the sausage and simmer for 20 minutes more, until thick. If you used the ham hock, pick the meat from it and stir it in. Fish out the bay leaves, taste and season with salt.

While the beans finish, rinse the rice, put it in a pan with the remaining 1 l of water and bring to the boil. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, then leave it off the heat, still covered, for 5 minutes.

Serve the beans over the rice with the sliced spring onions and hot sauce.