I haven’t blogged much about cooking or food in general lately – traveling too often got me off my regular cooking schedule and sometimes it’s a struggle getting back down to it. Lately I’ve been making more of an effort to follow a clean eating regimen and reign in all of the high processed food items I was consuming on a regular basis. It’s by no means a diet – I’m still enjoying all of the foods I’ve always loved, just in more sensible portions and without ingredients I can’t even pronounce. I’ve been turning to sources like BGG2WL, Clean Eating magazine, Cooking Light, Smitten Kitchen, and Mindful Eating, the excellent cookbook I got from my visit to Miraval. And every now and then, I’ll get a recipe from a man who I KNOW knows how to throw down in the kitchen.
My friend Chef Julius Russell of A Tale of Two Chefs (@TheChefJulius), will be hosting a special New Orleans pop up restaurant as part of a series of pop up restaurants – 10 courses, wine, tax and tip for $75! Click here to get your ticket, they’re going FAST! He’s making all kinds of insanely fancy things I could never make myself at home – we’re talking alligator empanadas, duck confit etoufee…and then I saw a classic Nawlins specialty. Red beans and rice! One of my favorite foods, ever. And something I could conceivably make myself.
Photo provided by Chef Julius
I shook down Chef Julius for the red beans and rice recipe he’ll be making at his pop up restaurant on Saturday, Sept. 29th. He makes a traditionally rich recipe with butter and cream (who knew? Not I!) so it’s the kind of thing I’ll indulge in occasionally. Here you go!
Chef Julius’ Red Beans & Rice with Sauce Acadian
2 Cans red beans
2 medium shallots
2T Chilean Olive Oil
1 leek (white & light green parts only, halved & thinly sliced) Dark Green is for stock
1 red tulip bell pepper (diced)
1 celery heart (shaved on a mandolin)
8oz chicken andouille (diced) – Westminster HD (if you’re lucky)
3 cups chicken stock (Savory choice)
1 cup seafood stock
2 cups Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (Concha Y Toro)
6 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
2Tb unsalted butter (chilled)
1 tsp dried thyme
15 whole peppercorns
• cup tomato sauce
• cup white butter roux (see recipe)
1-pint heavy whipping cream
1 ounce brandy
2T Chef Julius’ Creole Dust
Chef Julius’ Salt Blend and Pepper Blend to taste (Chef Julius’ spices available here)
Sauce Acadian:
In a large stockpot, add wine, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, chicken stock, seafood stock, dark green part of the leeks and place on a low boil for 45min.
While boiling, skim off the fat that floats to the top.
After the stock cooks for 30min, place a large sauté pan on medium heat and add the shallots.
Sauté for 3min and then add leeks, red bell pepper, celery, thyme, tomato paste, white butter roux, and brandy.
Cook this mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. After 7-8min, add Chef Julius’ Creole Dust and continue to stir.
Strain stock through a cheesecloth, discard the solids and place back on low heat.
Add the red beans, sausage and two ladles of stock to the sauté pan. Stir until it has a gravy like consistency.
Continue this process until all of the stock has been added. Taste the mixture and add the necessary salt and pepper.
After you adjust the seasoning, stir in the cream. After the cream, add the chilled butter and taste again.
Adjust the seasoning and serve hot over rice and garnish with scallions.
That. Sounds. Amazing. I’ll let you know how it turns out when I eventually try to make it. And I’ll let you know how it tastes after I go the Chef Julius cajun pop up restaurant!
Do you cook often? Where do you find your favorite recipes? How do you make your rice and beans?
Sounds even for me who does not like red beans! I believe that Jamaicans cook a lot of red beans and rice, while us Trinbagonians would do pelau (pigeon peas and rice with pigtail, cubes of beef or pieces of chicken, coconut milk and hot pepper).
At home I use frozen pigeon peas – there must be some in your neck of the woods?
As a busy woman who travels a lot, when you are home you can do roasts, casseroles, pasta dishes or try a baked fish dish served on the side with Venezulan plantain (peel uncooked plantain cut into slices or rounds and place in lightly greased baking dish dot with butter sprinkle with brown sugar and cook until golden. Serve it all with ochroe (okra) and rice cooked with cubes of pumpkin, pigtail, coconut milk, hot pepper and a bit of saltfish and add green salad to round off the meal. Enjoy!
The red beans and rice recipe from Chef Julius sounds so delicious. I love to cook, the problem is my days are busy—so this sounds like a recipe I would try during the weekend. I’m like you and try and select food that is healthy for me. I love the Mindful Eating and Clean Eating magazine you mentioned. I will have to browse over the other magazines you mentioned too. Thanks for getting us the recipe.
Thanks for this. Cooking is my hobby. I will try this sometime. Here in Kenya many of us eat waaaay too much meat — especially red. This helps make beans more “interesting.”
looks absolutely delicious…