Black Eyed Peas

About This Recipe

Southern black-eyed peas are a slow-simmered pot of creamy legumes infused with smoked pork, onion, and garlic, cooked until the broth turns silky and deeply savory. The peas — actually beans, brought to America through the transatlantic slave trade — hold their shape while becoming tender enough to crush against the roof of your mouth, and the smoky potlikker they leave behind is prized for sopping with cornbread. Eaten year-round across the South, they become near-mandatory on New Year's Day, when a bowlful is said to bring luck and coins for the months ahead. Patience and a good ham hock do most of the work.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 lbdried black-eyed peas(soaked 4 hours or overnight)
• 1 largesmoked ham hock(or 4 strips thick-cut bacon, diced)
• 1 largeyellow onion(diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 6 cupschicken stock or water
• 1bay leaf
• 0.5 tspblack pepper
• 0.5 tspkosher salt(add only after peas soften)
• 1 tbspapple cider vinegar(splash at the end)
• 1 dashhot sauce (Crystal or Tabasco)(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare

   Sort the dried peas for pebbles, rinse well, and soak 4 hours or overnight in cold water; a quick 1-hour hot soak also works. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and have the ham hock or bacon ready.

2. 2

   Cook

   Render diced bacon or brown the ham hock in a heavy pot over medium heat for 5 minutes, then sweat the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes more. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.

3. 3

   Combine

   Add the drained peas, enough stock or water to cover by 2 inches, a bay leaf, and pepper. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 60 to 90 minutes, skimming foam, until the peas are creamy but intact.

   Salt the peas only after they soften; salting early in hard water can keep the skins tough.

4. 4

   Serve

   Pull the hock, shred its meat back into the pot, and season with salt, black pepper, and a dash of hot sauce or vinegar. Serve in bowls with the potlikker, alongside rice or cornbread.

   A splash of apple cider vinegar at the end brightens the smoky broth dramatically.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian pot: skip the pork and build flavor with smoked paprika, olive oil, and a Parmesan rind.

• •

  Spicy Texas caviar: chill cooked peas and toss with peppers, onion, cilantro, and vinaigrette as a salad.

• •

  Greens included: stir chopped collards or turnip greens in for the last 30 minutes.

• •

  Creole-style: add the trinity of celery and bell pepper with the onion plus a spoon of Creole seasoning.

Storage

Refrigerate the peas in their broth for up to 4 days; they taste better on day two. They freeze excellently for 3 months — portion with plenty of potlikker and thaw overnight before reheating gently.

Frequently Asked Questions