Black-Eyed Pea Cassoulet Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What meat goes best with black-eyed peas? ›

- Tender and flavorful braised pork, like pork chops or pulled pork, goes wonderfully with black-eyed peas.

Canned Black Eyed Peas are fully cooked. In fact, you don't want to cook them too much longer or they start becoming mashed beans. Because they're fully cooked, you could eat them right out of the can, if you wanted. This makes them great for salads.

Your Beans Will Cook Faster

Well, creating an alkaline (or basic) environment by adding a small amount (about 1 teaspoon per cup of dry beans) of baking soda to your soaking/cooking water can actually help your beans cook faster.

Collard greens are a traditional pairing with black-eyed peas. Slow-cooked with a bit of bacon or ham hock, they bring a smoky, earthy flavor to the meal.

Find the recipe for black eyed pea fritters and more in Mariah-Rose's new international cookbook and guide, COOK LIKE YOUR ANCESTORS. It's a tradition for Southern people — especially those of African descent — to eat black-eyed peas around the New Year to bring good luck and prosperity for the year ahead.

The crop was brought by enslaved Africans in the 1600s as they were transported to the Americas. West Africans have long considered black-eyed peas a good luck charm that warded off evil spirits, and they are often served on holidays and birthdays.

Drain the canned black eyed peas, then add them to the pot along with the oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium high, and bring the pot up to a boil.

Canned black-eyed peas are best in recipes that don't require slow cooking or a long cook time, which can make them mushy. If you're using canned black-eyed peas, simply rinse them in a colander to remove any liquid from the can as well as excess salt. Then you're good to go!

I cook about 2 slices of bacon til crispy, add drained black eyed peas (canned), along with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. I usually like Lowry's seasoned pepper but plain black pepper is good. Plus about half a cup of water or even broth. The beans can get very dry, so I always add some liquid.

Why are black-eyed peas still hard after cooking? ›

Most whole dry bean and peas will begin to sprout if you soak them long enough. If they're still hard after you cook them for an hour, be sure they have enough water to cover them, and simmer until they soften. Taste the water. If it's bitter, rinse the beans, and put in new water.

According to food historian and scholar Adrian Miller, black-eyed peas are symbolic of coins, while collard greens symbolize paper money. Cornbread is symbolic of gold. “Some say you'll have the best of luck if you eat exactly 365 black eyed peas, one for each day of the year,” Miller said.

But in the American South on one day of the year, cabbage is served with something else: black-eyed peas. The culinary pairing is eaten for good luck and health in the coming year.

While black-eyed peas are said to have the power to bring luck, they also provide hearty, nutritious meals during the winter months because of their volume when cooked. Similarly, collard greens symbolize money and hope for the future, but are hardy crops able to survive harsh winter temperatures.

Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold. For the BEST chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat exactly 365 black-eyed peas, no more or less. Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health.

While not entirely necessary, soaking your beans will cut down on cooking time, making the whole process quicker and easier. — Simmer on the stovetop. Drain your beans from the soaking liquid and give them a quick rinse under cold water. Place beans in a large pot and cover them with 4 inches of chicken stock.

The bottom line. Black-eyed peas are highly nutritious and associated with many impressive health benefits. In particular, they may help support weight loss, improve heart health, and promote digestive health. They're also versatile, delicious, and easy to incorporate into a number of recipes as part of a healthy diet.