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the finished black eyed peas
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Black Eyed Peas Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 1 Lb of dried black eyed peas inspected and washed
  • 2 Ham hocks or 1 Hambone, or 1 Smoked turkey leg
  • 1 Quart of chicken stock
  • 2 Quarts of water
  • 1 Medium onion diced
  • 2 Cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 Jalepeno deseeded and minced (optional)
  • ΒΌ Teaspoon of either cajun or creole seasoning optional
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • (Optional) Soak your black eyed peas: Place your peas into a large bowl and cover it with enough water that it goes at least an inch above the peas. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let them soak for at least 8 hours to overnight. Drain the peas of this liquid before cooking with them
  • Cook the smoked meat: To get the most flavor out of our smoked meat we need to cook it prior to adding the peas. So get out a large-sized pot, place your smoked meat in it, followed by the quart of stock and 2 quarts of water. Place the pot over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Add the remaining ingredients: After the 45 minutes to 1 hour toss in the black eyed peas, onion, garlic, and jalapeno + cajun seasoning if using. Stir everything together and let it come back to a simmer. Cover the pot and let everything cook for at least and 1 hour and 15 minutes. After that time you can check to see if your peas are done by smashing one with your finger on a wooden spoon. If it smashes easily then they are cooked, if not then you will need to simmer the peas for another 15 to 30 minutes.
  • (Optional) Thicken your peas: At this point, there should be a good amount of liquid, or potlikker, left in the pot. However, if you want to thicken up your peas you can do it in one simple step. Simply remove 1 cup of the peas from the pot and place them into a bowl. Then use a wooden spoon or fork to smash the peas into a paste. Return these smashed peas to your pot and stir everything together.
  • Finish the dish: If you are using a piece of smoked meat with a bone you will need to remove it from the pot. Then you will need to shred the meat off of the bone, discard the bone, and return the meat back to the pot. Finally, all you have to do is taste the peas and add salt and pepper to your liking.