Red beans and rice with andouille

Step 1: Drain and rinse 16 oz dried red kidney beans. Put them in a large pan with fresh water to cover, bring to a hard boil and boil for 10 minutes (this makes kidney beans safe), then drain.

Step 2: In a large heavy pot heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium heat and brown 12 ½ oz andouille or other smoked pork sausage for 5 minutes. Lift it out and set aside in the fridge.

Step 3: Add 1 onion, 2 sticks celery and 1 green pepper to the fat and cook for 8 minutes until soft. Stir in 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp cayenne pepper and 1 tsp black pepper for 1 minute.

Step 4: Add the beans, 1 smoked ham hock (pork), 2 bay leaves and 8 ¼ cups water. Bring to the boil, then cover partly and simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring now and then, until the beans are completely soft.

Step 5: Lift out the hock. When cool enough, pull the meat from the bone, chop it and return it to the pot; discard skin, fat and bone. Mash a ladleful of beans against the side of the pot and stir in the browned sausage.

Step 6: Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until thick and creamy and the sausage is piping hot (160°F). Taste and add 1 tsp salt; remove the bay leaves. A common mistake is salting early, before the hock has released its own salt.

Step 7: While it simmers, cook 14 oz long-grain white rice according to the packet. Spoon beans over the rice and top with 4 spring onions and 1 tbsp hot sauce. Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours; they are even better the next day.