Red Beans And Rice - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 pound dried red kidney beans
2 quarts of cold water
1 meaty ham bone or thick slice of raw ham - cubed
1/2 pound hot sausage, sliced thick
1 bunch of scallions, including green tops
1 green pepper
3 medium sized onions
4 bay leaves
salt, pepper
2 stalks of celery
large pinch of ground thyme
cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce
white rice (not instant)

Preparation

Rinse kidney beans twice.
Discard any that look bad.
Put beans in a big heavy pot, at least three-quart size (four-quart is better.)Add water, ham and sausage.
Set uncovered on a burner at medium heat.
While the beans are soaking and warming, chop and add scallions, green pepper, celery and onions.
Then add thyme and bay leaves. When the mixture boils, reduce heat and cover. Stir every 20-30 minutes for three hours.
Then, with a wooden spoon, mash about one-fourth of the beams against the side of the pot.
If they don't mash easily, try again after half an hour. Forty minutes after mashing the beans, taste and season with cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce.
(Don't use too much; this is supposed to be delicious but subtly flavored.)
Cook for another half an hour while preparing white rice. Ladle beans and sauce over rice and serve.
6 servings.