My dad and I took a trip to New Orleans during my last year of law school and got HOOKED on the food! It was such a fun trip. We were there because my moot court team had a competition, but sadly (or maybe not so much) we didn’t make it beyond the first few rounds so we had a lot of time to enjoy the city. There were so many things we didn’t see that I would have loved to. Part if it was due to time, but a large part of it was because we seemed to find ourselves eating all the time!
Shortly after checking into the hotel we went in search of a good place to get dinner. The Acme Oyster House was just down the street and had a line to get in, so we thought it must be good.
Boy was it ever! We ended up eating there almost every day. Obviously since it was an oyster house we had to get oysters on the half shell, but we also enjoyed their gumbo, and of course my favorite, red beans and rice.
After the first day of competition we were all starving. We asked the Marshalls in the Federal Building where they recommended. They sent us to Mother’s which is clearly a local’s favorite. You would never know by the simple brick exterior that you would find some of the best food inside. This is where we ate breakfast after each morning competition!
My parents actually got eng
aged in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. My dad proposed to my mom at Pat O’Briens so of course we had to go there too. We actually were able to get (with a little waiting) the exact table they sat at when he proposed. I decided I *had* to try a hurricane. WOW! No wonder crazy stuff happens at Mardi Gras… I was nursing that drink all night!
For a nice evening out we went to Brennan’s (another place my parents went after getting engaged). Brennan’s is where Bananas Foster was created, so of course we had to get some for dessert. For an appetizer we had turtle soup (yes, it actually has turtles in it) and oysters Rockefeller. Both were amazing. For dinner I had a fresh trout dish that was to die for. We practically had to roll ourselves down the street after dinner, but it was soooooo worth it!
Ever since then we have been in search of the perfect Red Beans and Rice Recipe. We have decided to be completely satisfied, we will just have to go back. Until then, this is a pretty great recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry red kidney beans
- 2 ham hocks or a meaty ham bone
- 1 large bell pepper, chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1 small carrot, diced
- 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
- 1/4 teaspoon ground marjoram
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
- 2 cups long grain white rice, cooked to package instructions
Instructions
- Soak beans in water for 8 hours or overnight.
- In slow cooker, combine beans with ham hocks, bell pepper, celery, onion, carrot, Tabasco sauce, bay leaves, garlic, thyme, sage, marjoram, red wine, and water to cover.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
- When beans are tender, add salt and ground peppers. Remove bones and bay leaves.
- Top with fresh parsley. Serve over rice.
Twitter: CaroMusacchia
says:
These look great! I’ve never put wine in mine, but I bet it’s good! I usually add some hot sausage and lots of hot sauce (which I see you’ve included)! The spicier the better! You can’t go wrong with red beans!
I’m glad you enjoyed New Orleans so much! Brennan’s is one of my favorite places! I hope y’all come back soon!
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This looks amazing! I love that you added carrots to it, I am always looking for ways to add more veggies to our meals!
Twitter: apriljharris
says:
I’ve always wanted to go to New Orleans, and you’ve just made me want to go even more. It sounds like you had a wonderful time, and ate at some excellent places. How cool that you got to sit at the table where your Dad proposed to your Mom! That Hurricane reminds me of a Mai Tai I had at the Tonga Room at the Fairmont in San Francisco – one serious cocktail! I really like the red beans and rice recipe too – thank you for sharing it.
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