After the beans are rinsed, heat a stock pot over medium/low heat and melt a tablespoon of butter.
1 tablespoon butter
When the butter is melted, add the bacon and cook it until it is a little crispy.
4 strips bacon
Add the diced ham and cook just to get a sear on it. When the bacon is crispy and the ham is seared, add your celery, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic to the bacon grease and cook until the onions are translucent.
1 pound seasoning ham, 2 - 3 cloves garlic, 1 medium onion, 3 - 4 stalks celery, 1 green bell pepper
When the onions are soft, add parsley, salt, pepper, and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning. (If you do not have Tony's, you can use my Cajun Seasoning recipe.) 2 tablespoon dried parsley, 2 - 3 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
Then add your chicken broth, water, and bay leaves, and bring it all to a boil.
6 cups water, 4 cups chicken broth, 2 -3 dried bay leaves
Once the water is boiling, add the soaked and drained red beans and wait for it to return to a boil.
4 cups Camellia Red Kidney Beans
Reduce the heat and simmer over low/medium heat (this is a 2-3 out of 9 on the stove knob for me) for 1 ½ to 2 hours, checking on the beans and giving them a stir every 30 minutes. Make sure to stir all the way down to the bottom of the pot, checking to make sure that the bottom is not burning.
When you have about 20 minutes left of cooking time, slice up the smoked sausage and saute it in a frying pan and cook white rice.
1 andouille or hot smoked sausage
When the beans are cooked to your liking, remove the beans from the heat and serve over white rice. Garnish with diced pepperoncini peppers, your cooked sausage, and a splash of the vinegar from the jar of peppers.
2 cups white or long grain rice, pepperoncini peppers