Creole Red Beans and Authentic Italian Rice

Ingredients

For the Creole Red Beans:

• 1 cup dried red beans, quick-soaked and drained
• 12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, sliced into rounds
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• Scallions and fresh parsley, for garnish

For the Authentic Italian Rice:

• 1 cup authentic Italian Carnaroli rice
• 3 cups reserved warm Creole broth (from the beans above)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

For the Blood Orange Italian Soda (1 serving):

• 2 tablespoons blood orange syrup
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
• 6 ounces San Pellegrino sparkling water
• Ice
• Fresh blood orange slice and mint sprig, for garnish

Instructions

Part 1: Make the Creole Red Beans

1. Brown the Sausage Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large 5-6 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced chicken sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on both sides. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
2. Cook the Holy Trinity In the same pot (don't wipe it out!), add the diced onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned.
3. Add Spices and Beans Stir in the Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and bay leaves. Cook for 30 seconds to toast the spices. Add the quick-soaked and drained red beans and the browned sausage back into the pot. Stir everything together to coat the beans and sausage in the spices.
4. Simmer the Beans Pour in 6 cups of chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 55-65 minutes until the beans are tender and creamy. Important: At the 30-minute mark, you'll ladle out 3 cups of broth to use for the rice (see step 5), then continue cooking the beans for the remaining time. Check the liquid level occasionally and add more broth or water if needed to keep the beans covered. Stir every 15-20 minutes.
5. Reserve Broth for Rice At the 30-minute mark of simmering, carefully ladle out 3 cups of the hot, spiced broth from the beans into a small pot. Keep this Creole broth warm over low heat. This is your secret weapon for cooking the authentic Italian rice! Continue cooking the beans for the remaining 25-35 minutes until tender.
6. Finish the Beans Once the beans are tender and creamy, remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Keep the beans warm over very low heat while you make the rice.

Part 2: Cook the Authentic Italian Rice

7. Toast the Spices in Butter In a medium 3-4 quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Let it cook until it turns slightly golden and smells nutty, about 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and swirl to combine.
8. Bloom the Seasonings Add the Creole seasoning and smoked paprika to the golden butter. Let the spices bloom for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. This toasts the spices and releases their essential oils.
9. Toast the Rice Add the authentic Italian rice to the pan and stir well to coat every grain in the seasoned butter. Toast the rice for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it smells slightly nutty and the grains look translucent around the edges. Don't let it brown!
10. Cook Risotto-Style Add the warm reserved Creole broth one ladle at a time (about ½ cup per addition). Stir every 2-3 minutes and let each addition of broth absorb almost completely before adding the next ladle. Keep the heat at medium-low so the rice maintains a gentle simmer. Don't rush this process!
11. Finish the Rice Continue adding broth and stirring for 15-16 minutes total until the authentic Italian rice is creamy and al dente with a slight firm bite in the center. The rice should look slightly loose and sloppy, almost like a thick soup, when you turn off the heat. This is perfect! It will firm up as it rests.
12. Rest the Rice Turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and let the rice rest for 2-3 minutes. During this time, the rice will absorb the remaining liquid and firm up beautifully into a creamy consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

Part 3: Plate and Serve

13. Build the Bowls Spoon the creamy authentic Italian rice into wide, shallow bowls, creating a bed of rice in each bowl.
14. Top with Beans and Sausage Ladle the Creole red beans and sausage generously over the top of the rice in each bowl. Make sure everyone gets plenty of beans, sausage, and that flavorful broth!
15. Garnish Garnish each bowl with sliced scallions and freshly chopped parsley for color, freshness, and a pop of flavor. Serve immediately while hot.
16. Make the Blood Orange Italian Soda Fill a tall clear glass with ice. Add 2 tablespoons of blood orange syrup and 1 tablespoon of pomegranate juice over the ice and stir to combine. Top with 6 ounces of San Pellegrino sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish with a thin slice of blood orange on the rim and a fresh mint sprig. Serve alongside the Creole beans and rice.