We like to celebrate the new year with black eyed peas. In the South, the peas are often said to represent coins (and collard greens dollars, if you eat them together), so the dish symbolizes a prosperous year ahead. They are less rich than some of the meat and dairy-heavy foods frequently served to us in December, so it feels like a nice change. This year, we are thrilled that our friend Alice Faulkner Burch joined us to share her recipe for Black-Eyed Peas. Alice ate these when she was growing up, and she continues to make them every year now.
Her technique of preparing peas separate from a base (similar to a stock) intrigued us, and she told us she also prepares a base for making her collard greens. She tastes both the peas and the base separately at different stages, and then again, several times, once they’re combined. Tasting frequently ensures a wonderful finished product.
Alice’s peas have a milder flavor than those from other recipes we’ve tried--maybe because of the long soaking time. Her peas were creamy and soothing, and she taught us a few life lessons as we cooked like her mama used to do for her. Cooking the way her mama taught reminds Alice of the wisdom her mother shared, and we will remember her insights every time we make this dish.
Black-Eyed Peas
Serves 10 to 15
1 pound bag of dried black eyed peas
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 small onion, minced (or 2 teaspoons onion powder)
4 green onions/scallions, sliced small
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon regular paprika (not smoked)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Either 1 ham bone (version A) or 1 32-ounce carton of beef broth (version B)
The day before cooking, rinse and drain the peas in a colander. Then pour them into a pot and cover them completely with warm water. Leave them to soak all day and all night; covering the pot with a lid is optional. Before cooking the next day, sift out any bean husks that have fallen off.
Also the day before, make the soup base.
Version A – Ham Base
Place onion, garlic, green onions, black pepper, salt, regular paprika, and ham bone into a large pot. Cover with 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 3 hours, covered, stirring occasionally. After 3 hours, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and leave it on the stovetop to cool. Place covered pot in the refrigerator until ready to use. (In the winter, if you’re sure you can maintain a temperature of 40 degrees or colder, you can store the covered soup pot outside.)
Version B – Beef Base
Put onion, garlic, green onions, black pepper, and regular paprika into a pot with 32 ounces of Beef Broth. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. After 3 hours turn off the heat, cover the pot, and leave it on the stovetop to cool. Place covered pot in the refrigerator until ready to use. (In the winter, if you’re sure you can maintain a temperature of 40 degrees or colder, you can store the covered soup pot outside.)
The next day, add peas to the base. Test the base to make sure the seasonings taste right to you. (Alice has a light hand with salt, and Kate and Amelia do not. We added an additional teaspoon of salt.) If you are using a ham bone base, leave the ham bone in the pot. Turn the heat to low and simmer until the peas are done, often around two hours later. Every thirty minutes, taste a pea to see whether it seems adequately cooked—you don’t want to cook the beans so long they turn mushy. Add more seasonings and water as needed.
The Holbrook-Browns like to eat the peas over rice with cornbread on the side. These are often served with collard greens, which have a slight bitterness that works well with the peas.
