Kardea Brown’s Red Beans & Rice

 

½ pound dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 13-ounce package smoked pork, beef, or turkey sausage, halved and sliced

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1½ tablespoons concentrated chicken base, such as Better Than Bouillon

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

Kosher salt

1 smoked turkey wing

1 bay leaf

Hot cooked rice, for serving

1 stalk green onions, sliced, for garnish

 

Drain and rinse the beans. Set aside. Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Add the sausage and cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. To the same pot, add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Stir in the bouillon, Creole seasoning, and salt to taste. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the beans, turkey wing, and enough water to cover by 2½ inches. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the beans are tender, 2 to 2½ hours. Remove the turkey wing and the bay leaf from the pot. Remove the skin from the wing and shred the meat. Stir in meat. Spoon the beans over the hot cooked rice and sprinkle with green onions before serving.