Bean Pot Black-Eyed Peas

Black Eyed Peas.  These were a staple in my house growing up.  Mom used to buy them still in the pods and we would spend Sunday afternoons at the tedious task of shelling them.  I always loved them, but for some reason, we don't have them much anymore.  They'd sort of been relegated to New Year's Day fare, and that's a shame, because these babies are tasty and traditional, and a little change of pace as well.

Here's a relatively simple recipe that really brings out the flavor of these beans.  (yes, they are actually beans, not peas)  Black-Eyes have a unique, almost earthy flavor that is accented here with a little smoked ham and a few simple flavorings.

I'm also cooking them in my new bean pot, which my wife got me for Christmas this year.

I've been wanting one for a while.  It's a charming retro cooking vessel that you might say was the world's original crock pot.  It's shape is conducive to long, low and slow cooking.  I'll be featuring it in several more recipes that I've got cooked up for the future.  But first:

Bean Pot Black-Eyed Peas

1 Pound Dried Black-Eyed Peas
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Ounces Smoked Ham, Diced
1 Onion, Diced
4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
1/4 to 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
4 Cups Beef Stock
1 Can Consommé
1 Teaspoon Thyme

If you remember to do it, soak peas overnight until they have begun to get soft.   Or, if you're like me, and forget to do this the night before, but still want you're black-eyed peas for dinner, there is a 'quick method.'   Boil water in a medium sized pan.  Add peas,

let the boil recover and then boil for two minutes.  Remove from heat and let the peas soak for an hour.

Now they're ready to go.

Dice your onion,

And cube your smoked ham

And sauté them together in the oil.

Note, vegetable oil would be more traditional, but I generally use olive oil for just about everything savory that I cook, but use whichever you like.

After then onions and ham have simmered for 6-8 minutes, add the minced garlic.  Let this go for a minute or two, then add the salt, pepper, cayenne and garlic and onion powders.  Use just a hint of Cayenne if you're not into the heat.  That's what I do when I'm making these for the whole family.  But if it's just for me, I like to turn up the heat.

Also, you might wonder why we're using onion powder and garlic salt

when we've got fresh onion and garlic in the mix.  Well, I find each of these produce different flavor profiles in their fresh and dried forms, and sometimes I like to have both of those in the mix.  Rounds things out, so to speak.

Simmer this for a minute or so, then transfer it all to your bean pot.

Note, if you don't have a bean pot, a decent-sized Dutch oven will work fine.

Drain the black-eyed peas.

Discard the soaking water.  Add the peas to the pot.

Add the consommé.

Add the beef stock.

Finally add the thyme and stir everything up well.

Place in a 425˚F oven for 20 minutes.  After this, reduce the oven temp to 375˚F and cook for an hour and a half.

At this point, the peas should be cooked perfectly.

With a large spoon mash a little bit of the peas up against the side of the pot, then stir this in with the rest.  This will thicken things up and give the beans the proper consistency.

Serve them up hot, maybe with some hot sauce, or 'pepper sauce' if you want that Deep South authenticity.

Until next time,

Happy New Year,


Chris

Scalloped Potatoes

Potatoes are so dang versatile.  You can cook up so many different dishes with them.  Baked Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, French Fries, Tater Tots—the list goes on and on.  Here at An Eat’n Man, we like our taters pretty much any way we can find ‘em, from the aforementioned more ubiquitous ways to some of the fancier forms that potatoes can be lifted up to.  With that in mind, we’re going to start a series of some of the more ‘gussied up’ variety of potato dishes, starting with this one, Scalloped Potatoes. 

This dish is actually about half way between scalloped potatoes and potatoes ‘au gratin.’  What’s the difference, you ask?  Well, scalloped potatoes are potatoes cooked in a milk based sauce, and au gratin potatoes are potatoes sprinkled with cheese and breadcrumbs and baked.  In the former, the milk is what does the ‘scalloping,’ and in the later, a broiled cheese and breadcrumb topping is what makes something ‘au gratin’ or ‘gratinéed.’  If you do both, then you should call them ‘scalloped potatoes au gratin.’  In this version, I’ve done the scalloping, but I left out the bread crumbs, so it’s not a true ‘au gratin.’  Okay, enough definitions, let’s get to cooking!

Scalloped Potatoes

3-4 Large Potatoes, Thinly-Sliced

3 Tablespoons Butter

3 Tablespoons Flour

2 Cups Milk

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon White Pepper

2 Cups Grated Sharp White Cheddar Cheese

Dash Paprika

Peel your potatoes and slice them thinly.  This is best done with a mandoline, which can make paper-thin slices quickly and easily.

Just be sure to use the cutting guide and perhaps a knife glove like this one here as well.  Never cut bare-handed like you see ‘em doing on the cooking shows.  Trust me, I can tell you from experience that these babies are very sharp.

When you’ve finished with your taters, melt the butter in a skillet,

then sift in the flour, let cook a minute or three, then stir.

Next, slowly stir in your milk and whisk to combine.

Season with the salt and pepper, then cook on medium heat until just boiling.  Turn off heat. 

Layer some of your potato slices into an oven-proof dish.

Sprinkle some of the cheese over them,

and then ladle some of your milk sauce over that.

Repeat with another layer of potatoes, cheese and sauce.  Keep doing this until you fill up the dish, probably six or seven layers.

On the last layer of potatoes, just add cheese on top—no sauce—as this is what is going to form a nice, melty, golden-brown layer on top. 

Sprinkle on a little paprika if you like, then bake the potatoes uncovered for about an hour at 350˚F, until they are cooked through and golden brown on top.

Let potatoes rest for ten minutes or so out of the oven, then serve.

Until next time,

Chris

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