← Nouns Cooking · American

Ingredients

• 280 g dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 smoked ham hock (or 150 g diced bacon)
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• ½ green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Dried thyme
• ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 Bay leaves
• 1.2 l chicken stock or water
• 200 g long-grain white rice
• 3 Spring onion, sliced
• hot sauce, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the ham hock (or bacon) with the onion, pepper and celery and cook for 6–8 min, until the vegetables soften.
2. Stir in the garlic, thyme and cayenne for 1 minute, then add the drained peas, bay leaf and stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 45–60 min, until the peas are creamy inside but still hold their shape.
3. Lift out the ham hock, pull off the meat, chop it and return it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Scoop out all but about 480 ml of liquid (keep it for soup). Bring the pot back to the boil, stir in the rice, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 18–20 min, until the rice is tender.
5. Rest, covered, for 5 min, then fluff with a fork, scatter with spring onions and serve with hot sauce and collard greens.

Tips

• Tradition says peas bring coins and greens bring dollars, so serve them together on New Year’s Day.
• No time to soak? Use 2 tins of drained black-eyed peas and simmer them for just 10 min before adding the rice.
• If using stock, check it is gluten-free (some stock cubes contain wheat).

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Bon Appétit Spend With Pennies