I posted a black-eyed pea recipe a few New Years ago that was prepared in a slow cooker. This year I cooked them on the stove top
I spent New Years at Papa's this year so I made a small pot for us and his girlfriend. I found a package of fresh black-eyed peas so soaking them overnight was unnecessary and it made the cooking time a lot shorter.
My flavorings were onion, jalapeno, garlic and fresh thyme.
I let the vegetables sweat in a little olive oil
then I added this bad boy. Papa had a honey baked ham for Christmas and I cut the bone out of it. The honey baked ham bone made a milder broth than a smoked ham hock that I would normally use.
I added some broth, the thyme and the peas.
I threw in a handful of chopped up honey baked ham
After bringing everything to a boil the heat was turned down and the peas simmered about an hour until they were tender but not mushy.
I don't add any salt until the peas are done. The reason is that I never know how salty the ham or the broth may be. With this batch, I didn't have to add any at all.
Waiting on the corn muffins to come out of the oven so we can eat a little bit of good luck for 2016!
Stove-Top Cooked
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 large jalapeno pepper
1 large ham bone
5 cups chicken broth
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound fresh black-eyed peas
3/4 pound honey baked ham
salt to taste
Mise en Place
- chop onion
- mince garlic
- remove seeds and veins from jalapeno and finely dice the pepper
- measure broth
- cube the honey baked ham
Method
Heat Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. Toss in the onion, garlic and the jalapeno. Allow to sweat for a few minutes; do not let them brown. Add the ham bone, broth, thyme, black-eyed peas and the cubed ham. Bring to a boil then turn heat to medium low and allow peas to simmer.
Check the peas for doneness after 1 hour. Allow to simmer longer if necessary. You want them to be tender but not mushy and falling apart. Serve with hot corn muffins.
Ahh, yet another turkey in our household for the holiday. This is the third. Those who know Lovey know that he has to have turkey at every holiday. This was was smoked which made it a little different. All I had to do was make some Potatoes au Gratin, throw some Sister Shubert's Parker House Rolls in the oven and make the black eyed peas. Two good reasons to make black eyed peas to accompany our New Year's dinner: one, because that's just what you do in the South; and two, I received a new crock pot for Christmas (thanks Char & James!).
Lovey and I spent New Year's Eve together quietly at home. I had put a casserole together the night before. That and champagne was our celebratory fare for the evening (heavy on the champagne). We watched the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (in our opinion the best bowl game of the season so far) between Duke and Texas A&M. We were pulling for Duke (sorry Johnny Football). Even though the ending wasn't how we wished it was an exciting game. I hate boring football games.
I bought two containers of fresh BEPs so I knew they wouldn't take any time at all to cook; which is a good thing, however I was concerned that the smoked ham hock from Kuby's wouldn't have sufficient time to flavor the beans or the broth if I cooked them on the stove for such a short time.
Before I went to bed on NYE I threw some onion and garlic into the crock
Added the hock
and a bouquet garni of fresh rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Covered with chicken stock then set the crock pot on low and let it cook overnight.
There's something wonderful about waking up to fabulous aromas coming from the kitchen. I removed the hock to cool and tossed the bouquet garni. I cubed a slab of Black Forest ham I had and added that to the stock along with the BEPs. Re-set the crock pot to high & walked away to let the BEP's slowly get soft and soak up that nice broth.
The broth. Mmmmmm, the broth turned out better than I have ever made. It was clear and light, and since the broth wasn't cooked with the beans in it all night it didn't have that starchiness that it normally does.
Insurance for a prosperous and happy new year; that's what this is!
Black Eyed Peas in a Crock Pot
Ingredients:
1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3-4 fresh sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 large smoked ham hock
32 ounce box chicken broth
3/4" thick slab ham such as Black Forest (about 1/2 pound)
2 pint containers fresh black eyed peas
salt and pepper to taste
Mise en place:
- thinly slice onion
- peel and crush garlic clove
- tie in a bundle the rosemary, thyme and bay leaf (can also wrap bundle in cheese cloth)
Method:
Place onion, garlic, bouquet garni and ham hock in crock pot. Pour chicken broth over to cover. Place lid on crock pot and secure. Cook over night on low (8 - 10 hours).
Remove hock and let cool thoroughly. Remove and throw away bouquet garni.
Cube the slab of ham (3/4" cubes) and toss into broth.
Rinse black eyed peas and add to broth. Replace lid and cook on high approximately 2 hours or until peas have softened (but not to mush).
Salt and pepper to taste. NOTE: taste broth before adding any salt! You can never tell how salty the ham and ham hock may be. You may not need salt at all.
Happy New Year !!!!! I wish for all of you a prosperous and blessed year to come!
New Year's day in our household always means black-eyed peas and ham to bring luck through the upcoming year. Here is my basic, go-to recipe.
I start with dried black-eyed peas, cover with water and soak them overnight.
In a large Dutch oven fry two to three slices of thick bacon that have been diced. I find that bacon is much easier to chop or dice if it has been placed in the freezer for awhile. Fry until crisp and remove the bacon from the pot and drain on paper towels. You can add the bacon back to the pot later but I usually snack on them and eat them all.
Sauté chopped onion and garlic for a couple of minutes.
Add water, black-eyed peas (that have been drained and rinsed), the bay leaf and ham hock.
Bring to a boil then turn down heat to a simmer. After about 20 minutes add the cubed ham. Continue simmering until beans are tender. Remove ham hock, allow to cool, remove meat from bone and add back to beans.
Black-eyed Peas and Ham
Yields 6-8 Servings
Ingredients:
1 package (one pound) dried black-eyed peas
2-3 slices thick smoked bacon
1 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
8 cups water divided
smoked ham hock
1 bay leaf
1/2" thick slice of ham (approx. 3/4 lb)
2 cubes Knorr beef bouillon
Mise en place:
- place beans in a large mixing bowl and cover with water and soak 4 hours or overnight
- chop bacon
- chop onion
- mince garlic
- cube ham
Method:
In a large Dutch oven fry bacon pieces until crisp. Remove bacon bits to drain on paper towel. Remove all but 2 Tbsp. of the bacon fat. Sauté onion and garlic in bacon fat for several minutes. Add 1 cup water and bring to brisk boil. Boil for a minute or two and scrape up fond from the bacon. Add rest of the water.
Drain and rinse black-eyed peas and add to pot. Add ham hock and bay leaf. Bring to boil, scraping off any foam that may appear. Lower heat and simmer. After 20 minutes add cubed ham and bouillon cubes. Continue simmering until beans are tender but not mushy; about 20 minutes more.
Remove bay leaf and ham hock. Remove meat from hock and return to pot. Serve with corn bread.
