Southern Style Black Eyed Peas
A southern favorite! Serve on or with cooked rice, sprinkled with green onions and a few dashes of hot sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black eyed peas
- 2 ham hocks can substitute other smoked ham pieces
- 4 strips bacon
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery plus leaves chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped fine
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley plus more for serving
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- kosher salt start with ½ tsp before serving, add more if needed
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce I use green Tabasco or Yellowbird Jalapeno Condiment
- 4 green onions sliced, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare your peas. Sort and wash in a large colander. Then, either soak overnight in a large pot with water to cover, or, by doing the following: Place sorted and washed peas on large stock pot or Dutch oven and cover with water to about 2 inches above where peas are. Bring to a rolling boil and boil a few minutes, then turn pot off and let stand an hour. Then drain peas in a large colander and set aside.
- Fry bacon in bottom of a large stockpot or Dutch oven. When crispy, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. When cool, crumble and set aside. Meanwhile, add onion, celery, garlic, and jalapeno pepper tothe bacon grease in the pot and cook over medium heat about two minutes.
- Then add peas, ham hocks (or ham pieces), bay leaf, pepper and parsley. Pour the chicken broth and water over all. Turn heat up and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour to 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
- Discard bay leaf. Add ½ teaspoon salt to the peas along with the hot sauce and taste for saltiness. If needed, add additional salt in ¼ teaspoon increments. Serve over rice with the crumbled bacon, additional parsley and hot sauce, and a sprinkle of green onions. Enjoy!