Dried beans are a raw agricultural product and need to be washed and picked over for any foreign objects like sticks, pebbles or clods of dirt. Wash and rinse the beans in cold water. Once the beans are clean, place them in a large pot or bowl and cover them with 2 inches of fresh cold water. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the beans and reserve.
Peel and core the onions, and chop finely.
Wash and finely chop the celery.
Core and seed the green pepper and finely chop.
Thinly slice the green onion (scallions), remove the roots and separate into two portions.
Peel the garlic, smash with the side of a knife and finely chop. Reserve.
Leave the bay leaf whole so you can remove this at the end.
Measure out the thyme, oregano, filé powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper and add to the raw vegetable mixture.
Prepare the pot for the beans by cooking 3-4 strips of bacon over medium heat. Once the bacon has cooked remove from the pot, chop and reserve to add later.
While the pot is still hot with the bacon drippings, add the onions, celery, green pepper, 1 cup green onion, garlic, seasonings (thyme, oregano, filé powder, cayenne, salt & pepper) to the rendered bacon drippings. Stir to mix the ingredients well. Continue cooking until the onion and vegetables are soft.
Once the vegetable mixture is tender, add the clean pre-soaked beans. Stir the beans into the vegetable mixture.
Add the diced ham and reserved chopped bacon from earlier.
Add 2 quarts of chicken stock or enough to completely cover the beans by ½-¾ inch. Bring the pot to a boil (or follow the instructions on a pressure cooker). Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2 ½ hours, or more, stirring occasionally. Test a bean or two to determine doneness. The beans should be very soft.
When the beans are cooked, remove from the heat and remove the bay leaf. Measure out 1-1½ cups of beans with juice and add to a blender container. Place the lid and puree until smooth. Add this back to the original pot of red beans and stir to incorporate. This will help thicken the traditional red beans properly.
Add the chopped parsley, 1 cup fresh scallions, andouille sausage and stir to incorporate. The traditional red beans will still have enough residual heat to warm up sliced pre-cooked andouille sausage. Reserve and keep warm.