# ISO help - Black Eyed Peas



## Callisto in NC (Mar 1, 2008)

What am I supposed to do with these short of "regifting" them to the food bank next weekend?  I've never had them before and they came in our food box.


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## GB (Mar 1, 2008)

Oh no do NOT re-gift them. They are awesome beans!

Try this recipe. It is a huge hot every time I make it. When I made it last (at a BBQ for my company) every single person there asked for the recipe.

Black Eyed Pea Salad


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## Callisto in NC (Mar 1, 2008)

Mine are hard and in a bag.


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## GB (Mar 1, 2008)

Put them in a pot of water and soak overnight. The next day drain them and use in the recipe above or any other recipe you decide to use.


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## Callisto in NC (Mar 1, 2008)

GB said:


> Put them in a pot of water and soak overnight. The next day drain them and use in the recipe above or any other recipe you decide to use.


Thank you.  I would have not known to soak for a full night (seriously, these things are new to me I've never eaten one in my life).  Knowing me I would have soaked for an hour and been mad that they weren't soft.  Foreknowledge is better then hindsight when it comes to cooking.


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## GB (Mar 1, 2008)

I have never cooked with dry beans myself. I just know to soak them overnight from the fine folks here.


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## David Cottrell (Mar 1, 2008)

Callisto in North Carolina - Charlotte is it not? David, formerly from Hickory. Do learn to cook dried beans - black eyed peas are a southern speciality, especially with some ham hocks. Do you need an authentic southern recipe? Will send one if you like. Couldn't be simpler. Been thinking about you and hoping you are well. D


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## LadyCook61 (Mar 1, 2008)

GB said:


> Oh no do NOT re-gift them. They are awesome beans!
> 
> Try this recipe. It is a huge hot every time I make it. When I made it last (at a BBQ for my company) every single person there asked for the recipe.
> 
> Black Eyed Pea Salad


 
thanks for that link/recipe.


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## jpmcgrew (Mar 1, 2008)

Beans, beans the magical fruit the more you eat the more you toot, the more you toot the more you eat. And if you put pineapple in them you get Hawaiian music.


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## BubbaGourmet (Mar 2, 2008)

Here is my favorite way to cook black-eyed peas;

Serves 4 (at least)
1/2 lb dried peas that have bee soaked overnight (see hint below)
1/2 bulk or country sausage
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Water

Brown sausge in pot and crumble while browning. Add onions and garlic. Continue cooking until onions begin to turn clear. Add red pepper flakes. Cook for about 2 minutes to "bloom" the pepper flakes and add drained peas. Combine thoroughlly and add water (or vegetable broth) to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to boil, reduce heat to9 simmer and simmer until tender about 60 to 9o minutes. Serve with chopped, raw onion and I have gotta have a splash of Cholula Hot Sauce.

*hint:* To soak the peas. First, rinse them thoroughlly and pick through looking for any small stones that may have made their way into your bag. Place in pot and cover with HOT tap water by about 2 inches, change the water as often as is practical. When ready to cook, drain and rinse the peas a final time.


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## Callisto in NC (Mar 3, 2008)

David Cottrell said:


> Callisto in North Carolina - Charlotte is it not? David, formerly from Hickory. Do learn to cook dried beans - black eyed peas are a southern speciality, especially with some ham hocks. Do you need an authentic southern recipe? Will send one if you like. Couldn't be simpler. Been thinking about you and hoping you are well. D


Thanks David.  Send it over, I'd love to get as many recipes as I can.


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## ironchef (Mar 3, 2008)

Black Eyed Peas are Fergalicious.


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## Callisto in NC (Mar 3, 2008)

What is Fergalicious?


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## David Cottrell (Mar 3, 2008)

*Authentic Hoppin' John*



Callisto in NC said:


> What am I supposed to do with these short of "regifting" them to the food bank next weekend? I've never had them before and they came in our food box.


 
Hoppin’ John from “Spoonbread & Strawberry Wine” by Norma Jean & Carole Darden. Authentic family story from Slavery in North Carolina to their Professional successes.

Google search Spoonbread & Strawberry Wine and also Norma Jean Darden. Ok, here it is in my words, kinda. 

Hoppin’ John (Black – Eyed Peas and Rice)

2 ham hocks
1 bay leaf
2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups raw black-eyed peas 
2 cups raw rice

Simmer ham hocks in a large pot with enough water to cover for about 30 minutes.
Add the bay leaf, chopped onions, the diced stalk of celery, the crushed red pepper and some salt and pepper.
Sort through your dried peas, rinse and add to the pot. Be sure peas are well covered with water.
Put the lid on the pot, simmer slowly until peas are tender – about 90 minutes. Check to adjust  the water level if needed from time to time. You want to evaporate as much of the water as possible during this process. Low and Slow!

Cook the rice separately and steam dry.
When peas are ready, tender and water mostly evaporated, fluff up the rice and add to the peas. Adjust your seasoning and continue to cook over low heat until all the water is absorbed.

Too much water will make the rice gummy – not nice.
Norma and Carole suggest that you can reverse this addition process of rice to peas by draining the peas (save the cooking liquid), fluffing them up and adding them to the rice and then adding back a small amount of the cooking liquid. I try to get the pea cooking liquid down as close as I can so as not to lose this valuable broth!  

You don’t want black-eyed pea soup or a dry falling apart dish either!

Here is a timeline link to the history of this dish as best can be determined.

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq1.html#hoppingjohn

Callisto, I know you have an aversion to meat of the pig but dear lady, in Hickory where I grew up and in the little village of Granite Falls “just up the road” we would have starved had it not been for black eyed peas and such refinements as “fat back”, “salt pork” and “lard”. Goodness me yes. But you know, my sisters and I can’t remember our mother ever serving pork chops. Now isn’t that strange. 

Enjoy!


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