Blackeyed Peas... A Southern Specialty.

I noticed a bag of blackeyed peas in the pantry and made plans to prepare a pot of them soon. An old friend and coworker of mine from my time working in the shipyard was from Alabama and he’s the one who first had me try them. Beans aren’t my favorite and when he asked me to taste them I balked. Just try em, you peckerwood, he told me. So I did. Wow, delicious. I think of Otis and Evelyn Johnson and their hospitality when I make these.
I first get my vegetables diced up. Carrot, onion and celery. I sauté in butter with a little good olive oil and add a couple of bay leaves and some fresh herbs. I used thyme and rosemary, tied in a bundle. I cook them over high heat until they start getting tender.

When the vegetables are ready, I add my peas that I soaked in fresh water over night. If you haven’t done this step, you can do a quick soak where you put your peas in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Let them boil for 1 minute and turn the fire off and let sit in the hot water for an hour. Drain and rinse the peas and they’re ready to use. I add them to the sautéed veg and bring them up to temp in the pot.

With a pound of peas, I add 4 cups of chicken stock and 4 cups of water for a total of 8 cups of liquid. To the liquid I also add a couple of smoky ham hocks for flavor and some ham steak that I cubed up.This can also be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken stock and using all water and leaving out the ham hocks and ham.

It takes about 45 minutes for the peas to plump up and get tender. When I get a good boil going , I turn the fire down and gently simmer the pot until cooked down and finished. When the peas are tender and where I want them, I’ll pull out the spent herb stems and bay leaves and discard. The ham hocks are taken out and I pull any smoky meat there may be and add that back to the pot. The pot of blackeyed peas is now the consistency of a nice stew. Most of the broth has been absorbed and cooked off.

This pot of peas is now ready to serve up and enjoy. In the South, many people make this dish on New Year’s Day for good luck in the coming year. A little salt and pepper, a dash of hot sauce or a dollop of sour cream. However you like it. It’s a delicious, hearty and stick to your ribs kinda meal. Enjoy... And peace.