Happy Black Eyed Peas
Many Southern mommas staunchly insist that one’s luck for the year is directly tied to the amount of black-eyed peas one eats on New Year’s Day. No excuse is good enough to not eat your peas. Tradition dates back to 500 A.D. when black-eyed peas were eaten for luck in the Jewish new year celebration. They are also a staple in West African cuisine, which carried over and pervaded southern culture in America.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, small diced
- 1 large bell pepper (or 1 ½ cup mixed color bell), small dice
- 1 T butter
- 2 cups white wine
- 2 small bay leaves
- 16-ounce bag of black-eyed peas
- 3 quarts of water, divided
- 1 tablespoon More Than Gourmet brand Glace de Viande Gold Classic Reduced Brown Stock
- 6-ounce package of lean country ham (not sweet ham)
- 2 tablespoons Dude Food Fire Happy Spice or other all-purpose seasoning salt
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
Directions:
- Put oil in Dutch oven pot and put temperature on medium high heat.
- Add onions and stir.
- Add bell peppers, then let sizzle for 10 seconds.
- Melt in butter and saute for 2 minutes to cook out the excess water.
- Pour in wine and add bay leaves. Bring to boil.
- Add black eyed peas and cover.
- Stir well then stir every minute or so until wine has almost cooked out dry.
- Pour in 2 quarts of water.
- Bring to boil and reduce heat to low to simmer.
- Add the brown stock and stir in to melt. Simmer for a few minutes, then cover and continue to simmer for 45 minutes on low.
- Add in chopped country ham and Dude Food Fire Happy Spice all-purpose seasoning salt.
- Stir, then add one more quart of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Taste and add 1-2 teaspoons of salt as needed.
- Remove from heat, cover, and let it sit for 20-30 minutes to meld flavors.
- Serve with cornbread and enjoy
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