Baião de Dois (Northeastern Rice, Beans & Curd Cheese)

Soak the black-eyed beans in plenty of cold water for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Drain.

Put the drained beans in a pot with the bay leaf and enough fresh water to cover by 3 cm. Boil, then simmer 25–35 minutes until tender but not bursting. Drain, keeping 300 ml of the bean water.

💡 Black-eyed beans cook much faster than kidney or black beans — start checking at 25 minutes so they stay whole.

In a wide heavy pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat and fry the bacon until its fat renders and the edges crisp, about 4 minutes.

Add the sliced sausage and fry 3 minutes until browned. Lift out about a third of the sausage and cheese's worth to garnish later if you like.

Add the onion and garlic to the same pot and cook 3–4 minutes in the flavoured fat until soft.

Stir in the rinsed rice and toast it for 2 minutes, coating every grain in the fat.

Add the cooked beans, the 300 ml reserved bean water plus 300 ml fresh water, and the salt. Stir once, bring to a boil, then cover and drop to low.

💡 Using the bean water instead of plain water is the whole trick — it stains the rice and carries the flavour into every grain.

Cook covered for 15–18 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Do not stir while it steams.

Turn off the heat, scatter the cheese cubes over the top, cover again and rest 5 minutes so they soften in the steam.

Fluff gently with a fork, fold through the spring onions and coriander, and serve topped with the reserved sausage.