Black-Eyed Peas with Ginger

Black Eyed Peas (Bean)

by Cat, June 2008  (photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

See also: 1. Legumes (About) (on my main website); 2. Beans & Other Legumes: Soaking & Sprouting;

Other sites: 1. Emily Skinner Bean Recipes (2); 2. The Vegan Gourmet on dried beans & peas (great reference! (3))

Most of my recipes for black-eyed peas are skillet recipes, but this one is a casserole, similar to pork and beans.

Black-Eyed Peas with Ginger

This recipe is adapted from southernfood.about.com (1).  Raw honey is not required in this recipe because the honey is cooked.  However, I highly recommend using local honey.

This is not a vegetarian recipe, but could be adapted by using veggie broth and omitting the pork.  Adding a little Tamari sauce or Bragg’s Aminos would enhance the flavor, in the absence of pork.

Most commercial bacon is smoked and heavily salted.  I don’t like a lot of smoky flavor in this dish, as it overwhelms the other flavors. Much of the smoky flavor, as well as the salt, can be removed, by blanching:

Ingredients & Equipment:

Soak and Cook the Beans

• 1 cup dried black-eyed peas
• warm filtered water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice per quart water

Bean Casserole

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 slices bacon, blanched (see above)
• ½ tsp dry mustard
• ¼ tsp Unrefined sea salt, or to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp preserved ginger, chopped
• ¾ cup honey or blackstrap molasses

Equipment

• large bowl (for soaking)
• 3-quart saucier or Dutch oven
• cast iron skillet
• 1.5 or 2-quart casserole dish, with lid

Method:

Soak and Cook the Beans

1. Cover beans with warm water.  Stir in lemon juice and leave in a warm place overnight (24 hours).  Check after a few hours and add more water as necessary.
2. Drain beans, rinse and put in saucier along with fresh water to cover by 2 inches.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer; skim.
3. Simmer gently until beans are tender, 1 – 2 hours.  Keep beans covered with water.

Bean Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 325⁰ F.
2. Cut blanched bacon into 1″ pieces; chop onion.  Saute onion and bacon in cast iron skillet over medium heat, until onion is golden and bacon is crisp.  Drain off fat and stir onion/bacon into beans.
3. Add seasonings and stir to combine.
4. Turn into baking dish; drizzle with the honey.  Cover and bake 1 hour.  Remove cover and bake another 30 minutes to brown the top.

Assembly or Serving ideas

• Serve with steamed brown rice, bulgur, or corn bread.

References

1. southern food.about.com recipe (southernfood.about.com/od/blackeyedpeas/r/bln117.htm
2. Emily Skinner Bean Recipes (emilyskinner.com/food/beans.html
3. The Vegan Gourmet on dried beans & peas (great reference! chezbettay.com/pages/basics1/basics_beans1.html)