Crowder Peas For Good Luck @ New Year's
Ingredients
- 1 lb. crowder peas, sorted, rinsed, and soaked for a few hours or overnight
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 ribs celery
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- Pinch nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. savory (or oregano)
- 1 1/2 Tbs. salt
- 1 Tbs. hot sauce
- 1 Tbs. brown sugar
- 1 cup (uncooked) popcorn rice, Konriko Wild Pecan rice, or basmati rice, cooked according to directions
- 6 sprigs parsley, leaves only, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and fennel and cook until soft.
- 2
Drain the crowder peas and add them to the pot. Add six cups of fresh cold water, plus all the ingredients through the brown sugar. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for one hour.
- 3
Check after an hour to see that the peas have not absorbed all the water. If so, add more. The pot should still have a soup texture at this point.
- 4
Cook another 30-45 minutes, until beans are soft but still in one piece. Remove the bay leaf. Taste for seasoning and adjust. There should still be enough liquid so that the beans have a stew-like texture.
- 5
Add the cooked, drained rice to the pot and gently stir into the beans. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.