Recipe:

1 lb package Camellia Brand red kidney beans
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium vidalia onion, finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
2 tablespoons garlic paste (4-6 fresh cloves)
1 lb Andouille or other smoked sausage, sliced
1 1/2 lbs smoked turkey wing pieces (About 1 wing - I always use Royal brand)
2 fresh bay leaves
10-12 cups light chicken stock or water
1-2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (Slap Ya Mama is the best)
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
To serve: steamed long grain rice, hot sauce, chopped green onion, chives or parsley

Method:

Sort and soak beans in cold water overnight. Drain before starting the recipe and set aside.

Heat a large cast iron pot over medium-high heat then add butter, onion, bell pepper and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent, then add garlic and sausage. Cook until sausage is evenly browned. At this point, I remove half of the sausage and set aside until serving but this is optional. You could also sauté some separately toward the end, just get extra.

Add beans, bay leaves and smoked turkey wing pieces to the pot. I leave the skin on because a lot of the collagen and fat will break down and contribute to a creamy texture later. Almost like how it works when you make refried beans. Pour enough stock or water over to cover the wings, stir and increase heat to high. Bring to a rolling boil for 5-10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and place the lid on your pot. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring with a wooden spoon a few times while cooking to ensure that you do not scorch the beans at the bottom of the pot. This is the worst! If things look too dry, please add 1-2 cups water. I do not add salt until after the beans are tender enough to taste because the smoked wings and andouille sausage is salty and creates a wonderful flavor on their own.

Once the beans are tender and meat from the wings are falling off the bone, remove any skin, bones and bay leaves - discard. Use a potato masher or fork to mash about 1/2 of the beans that are still whole. Stir gently over low heat. It should be very creamy now. Add Cajun seasoning to suit your taste, pepper and a dash of hot sauce. I sometimes stir in some fresh parsley as well.

Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice, extra sautéed sausage and chopped green onion or chives.

Serves 8-10 people.