Pableaux [Paul] Johnson (1/8/1966-1/26/2025) was the very best of us. He was first and foremost a friend, but also a talented writer, photographer, home chef, and extrovert.
On the last part… to quote his brother, he talked to strangers. It was part of what made him Pableaux to so many – you’re only a stranger until you get to know each other.
Knowing him was a part of living in New Orleans that made it special. Food can’t fix the world’s problems, but it can help us get through. Here is his red beans recipe that he served every Monday night for at least 20 years. Happy birthday, rest in power.
Prep
- 1 day prior – soak beans overnight, or for a few hours
- 1 week prior – meet strangers, find out who is in town for stuff, see old pals, and invite them all for dinner
- 1 year prior, or more – do not clean or tidy your home
- if you have any 1990s-era exercise equipment, be sure to pull those out of storage
Ingredients
- 2 lb red beans
- 2 lb sausage (andouille), sliced into coins
- 2 or 3 white onions, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 3-4 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 1 bunch flat parsley, chopped fine
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- pinch of rubbed sage
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp Crystal Hot Sauce
- 1-10 tsp Tony Chachere’s seasoning, to taste
- make some rice too.
Cook
- you’ll need a big pot. cook everything in there
- Heat canola oil, then add your andouille and brown until you’ve pulled as much fat from the sausage as possible. Remove sausage and set aside
- Add onions and sauté until translucent
- Add garlic and all seasonings except basil and Tony’s. Cook until fragrant
- Add celery and green pepper, cook until you can see through the celery
- Drain water from your soaked beans and pour them in. Add fresh water until you’ve covered the entire concoction
- Pop some Crystal in there. Rub basil and throw it in along with the sausage and bay leaves
- Bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat until you’re at a simmer. Leave for 2 hours or more
- Look in the mirror and make sure you still look like a muppet
- Check the texture of the beans – if they fall apart to the touch, you’re on the right path. Add green onions and parsley and keep simmering for at least 15 min
- Evaporate more water until you’ve got a sludgey texture. This is the one time when sludgey is a good thing
After
- spill a little Crystal in, just in case
- serve with rice
- no phones at the table
- serve yourself (“Shy people starve”)
- whiskey for dessert (“Hands for whiskey”)