RED BEANS AND RICE, LOUISIANA-STYLE

Steps:

• Put the beans and ham hocks in a large bowl and add cold water to cover, to a level about two inches above the tops of the beans. Cover and let stand overnight.
• Drain the beans and ham hocks, reserving the water in which they soaked. Put the beans and ham hocks in a kettle. Add enough additional water to the soaking water to make eight cups. Add the water to the beans and ham hocks. Bring to the boil and cook, uncovered, two hours, stirring occasionally from the bottom.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet and add the garlic, onions, green peppers and celery. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is wilted. Add this to the beans. Add the parsley, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, thyme, Tabasco sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and tomatoes.
• As the beans cook, preheat the broiler to high. Place the sausage pieces on a rack and cook about 10 minutes, turning often. Add the sausage pieces to the beans for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
• Scoop out about one cup of the beans and their liquid and put them in a food processor or electric blender. Blend thoroughly. Return this mixture to the beans. Remove the bay leaf.
• Spoon one serving of rice into each of eight hot soup bowls. Cover with beans. Sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve with a little hot vinegar on the side, to be added, if desired, according to taste.