Southern Black-Eyed Peas

Week 413. Year 8. Tommy is 41. January grey. The crawfish sleeping. The hunting winding down. The business in its slow season. The pause before the spring. The inhale before the exhale. red beans and rice to fill the quiet.

Made red beans and rice this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Come eat, cher.

When the crawfish are sleeping and the hunting has wound down and the business has gone quiet, the kitchen is where the season makes its case — and a pot of Southern black-eyed peas is the right answer to that kind of stillness. It’s the same spirit as red beans and rice: something low and slow and generous, something that fills the house with a smell that tells everybody who walks through the door that they’re welcome here. This is the recipe I come back to when the calendar is grey and the days need a little weight to them — good peas, good pot, good enough.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min | Total Time: 1 hr 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and sorted
6 cups chicken broth (or water)
1/2 lb smoked sausage or andouille, sliced into rounds
4 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste
Hot sauce for serving
Cooked white rice, for serving

Instructions

Soak the peas. Place dried black-eyed peas in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Soak overnight, or use the quick-soak method: bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and let sit 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
Brown the meat. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot. Add the sliced sausage and cook until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
Build the base. In the same pot with the drippings, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Season and simmer. Stir in the smoked paprika, cayenne, and dried thyme. Add the drained black-eyed peas, browned sausage, bacon, and bay leaves. Pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until peas are tender and creamy.
Adjust and finish. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt, black pepper, and cayenne. If the broth is thinner than you like, mash a scoop of peas against the side of the pot and stir to thicken. Let rest 10 minutes off the heat.
Serve. Ladle over hot white rice and serve with hot sauce on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Southern Black-Eyed Peas — The Slow Simmer That Holds the House Together