author: francineandrebecca
created: 2005-02-21 17:19:11
servings: 16!
notes:
From Paul Prudhomme's "Seasoned America". This is a traditional Southern dish served on New Year's Day to bring good luck in the coming year. It's usually accompanied by a dish of greens, meant to ensure a wealthy year. This recipe doesn't soak the black-eyed peas but we have. Maybe if you eat it throughout the year, you can have good luck whenever!
recipe:
Seasoning Mix: 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon paprika 2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper 1 1/2 teaspooins garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon dried sweet basil leaves Everything Else: 5 slices bacon, cut into small dice 3 cups chopped onions 2 cups chopped green bell peppers 1 1/2 cups chopped celery 3 bay leaves 1 pound dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over 11 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic 1 pound smoked sausage (the best you can dind), cut into 1/2-inch slices 2 cups uncooked converted rice Combine the seasoning mix ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl. Makes 1/4 plus 2 teaspoons. Place the bacon in a heavy ovenproof 5-quart pot over high heat and cook until the bacon starts to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of the onions, 1 cup of bell peppers, 1 cup of the celery, 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix, the bay leaves, and half the black-eyed peas. Cover and cook, uncovering the pot once or twice to stir, about ten minutes. Stir in 2 cups of the chicken stock and the garlic and scrape up any crust that's formed on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add 2 cup more stock and scrape the bottom of the pot clean. Add the sausage, 6 cups more stock, the remaining 1 cup onions, i cup bell peppers, and 1/2 cup celery, the remaining black-eyed peas, and the remaining seasoning mix. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the peas are tender and creamy, about 1 1/4 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir the rice and the remaining 2 cups stock into the black-eyed peas, turn up the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and bake 15 minutes.