Noni's New Year's Black Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh black eyed peas (or dried if fresh are not available)
- 1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
- 4 tbsp bacon drippings (or vegetable oil)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- a few sprigs of fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
- 4 cups homemade chicken stock (or low-salt stock in the carton or plain water)
Special Equipment
- 6 quart Dutch oven with lid
How-to
- If using dried peas, rinse them well and pick out any bad ones. Soak dried peas in cold water overnight. If using fresh peas, just rinse and drain well
- In a 6 quart Dutch oven, heat 4 tbsp bacon drippings and sauté the onion for 2 minutes
- Add the ham bone and continue to cook 2 minutes more
- Add the drained beans, ½ tsp salt, black pepper to taste, the thyme and the bay leaf
- Cover all with the chicken stock (or use plain water if you prefer); stir well and cover the pot
- Lower flame to medium-low setting and cook for 25 minutes, then test for doneness. If using dried peas it might take a little longer