RED BEANS AND RICE

<p>2 onions, diced 1 green bell pepper, deeded and diced 1 stalk celery, diced 2 TB rendered bacon fat 1 pound dried red kidney beans 2 smoked ham hocks 3 bay leaves 1/2 tsp celery seed 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 3 green onions, chopped salt freshly ground black pepper tabasco 3 cups cooked rice Sweat the onions, bell peppers, and celery in the rendered bacon fat in a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Once the onions become translucent, add the kidney beans, ham hocks, bay leaves, celery seed and cayenne, then add water to cover by 2 inches. Increase the heat and bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and allow the beans to slowly simmer for 2 hours. Periodically stir the beans to make sure that they don’t scorch on the bottom of the pot, adding water if necessary, always keeping the beans covered by an inch or more of water. Continue cooking the beans until they are creamy and beginning to fall apart when they’re stirred. Remove the ham hock meat from the bones, roughly chop it, and add it back to the pot of beans. Stir in the green onions and season with salt, black pepper and Tabasco. Serve with white rice. Serves 6. Adapted from a recipe by John Besh, My New Orleans.</p>