Over the nine years I've been writing "Making Home Work," I know I've mentioned black eyed peas, that most delicious and southern of dishes. I made a mess of them today, which inspired me to revisit preparing black eyed peas.
The first thing to know is that canned black eyed peas are the worst version of them. The easiest kind of black eyed peas to cook are the frozen ones. (I've only made the dried ones once.) They are clearly better, and they are easy to find at Martin's supermarket. I've also occasionally found them at Walmart. And if you can't find frozen black eyed peas, field or crowder peas, which I often see frozen at Martin's, taste good too.
As with many of my food "recipes," the making of black eyed peas is a process. To begin, you want to cook two bags at a time. This will give you nearly two dinners' worth of generous side dishes for a family of four. Two people can have them as generous main dishes for two meals. If you add two cups of cooked rice after you've cooked and cooled the peas, the two bags will stretch even more, but this is optional.
To begin, open the bags into a big pot and let the frozen peas fall in. Then add enough water or chicken broth to cover and about one additional inch. The more "chickeny" you make the broth, the better, so whether you use broth or water, add additional chicken bouillon. I usually add two bouillon cubes if I've used broth, and four if I haven't.
Now add some good shakes of pepper and salt, and bring it to a boil. Cook it on medium high for an hour, uncovered. If the liquid gets too low, add a cup of hot water.
If you'd like, four strips of diced, uncooked bacon added at the beginning will add a fatty flavor that can't be beat—except by ham. A half cup of diced ham will absolutely transform black eyed peas.
I consider a bay leaf or two essential to cooking these peas, but that's up to you. Also, a half cup of diced onions and red peppers, each, can be nice, but are not strictly necessary. Add them after about 35 minutes on the boil.
You want to test the peas for doneness and seasoning after 45 minutes. They should be soft, but not mushy—according to the cook's taste. Once the peas are done, let them sit on the stove to cool. Do not drain the pot. The black eyed pea "pot liquor" is delicious. You want the peas to sit in it. They will pick up flavor from it over time.
Once the peas are cooled enough to eat, dig in or put them in the refrigerator, where the flavor were continue to improve. Either way, they are just delicious and filling—and cheap! Enjoy!
If you'd like to share your own home memories or tips (or recipes), send ideas to tkwolford@aol.com. Or you can write me via traditional mail at The Farmer's Exchange, P.O. Box 45, New Paris, IN 46553.