Black-Eyed Peas

Recipe from Mashama Bailey

Adapted by Brigid Washington

Updated December 4, 2022

  • Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
2 hours, plus overnight soaking
Rating
4(1,124)
Comments
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Black-eyed peas are a Southern good-luck tradition for New Year’s Day, one with deep roots in African-American culture. Simmer the peas with charred onion, chile de árbol and cloves, and they’ll soak up deep flavor. This recipe comes from the chef Mashama Bailey, of the restaurant Grey in Savannah, Ga., who makes it for her New Year's feast. Her family always cooked the beans with ham hocks, but Ms. Bailey prefers to make hers vegan, so all can enjoy it. These peas are also fairly customizable: Purée a portion of the mixture for a thicker sauce, doctor with your favorite hot sauce or dollop with sour cream to add richness. —Brigid Washington

Featured in: Stewing Black-Eyed Peas for New Year’s Luck

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

  • 2 pounds dried black-eyed peas

  • 1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia, peeled and halved through the root end (keep the root attached)

  • 4 whole cloves

  • 1 garlic head, cut in half

  • 10 black peppercorns

  • 2 dried bay leaves

  • 1 chile de árbol or other small dried chile

  • 1 cup olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • Hot sauce, to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

18 grams carbs; 244 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 293 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the peas in a large bowl, add water to cover by 2 inches, and soak overnight.

  2. Step 2

    Blacken the onion: If you have a gas stove, turn one burner on high and place the onion halves directly on the grates next to the flame and cook, turning occasionally, until the onion is charred on all sides, about 5 minutes. Otherwise, heat the broiler and broil the onion on a baking sheet a few inches from the heat, turning occasionally, until charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

  3. Step 3

    When the onion is cool enough to handle, poke 2 cloves into each half, and add the onion to a large stockpot. Drain the peas, discarding the liquid, and then transfer the peas to the pot.

  4. Step 4

    Place the garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and chile on a 12-inch square of cheesecloth and wrap tightly, using twine to seal the packet.

  5. Step 5

    Add 6 quarts water and the spice packet to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim any foam that collects on the surface, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring and skimming occasionally, until the peas are fully cooked and the cooking liquid has thickened, 1 to 2 hours.

  6. Step 6

    Discard the spice packet, season with the remaining 1 tablespoon salt (or to taste) and the hot sauce and serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,124 user ratings
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Comments

Mk

Excellent recipe. The true taste comes through. I can also recommend instead of cheese cloth to tie up the spices /since I halve the recipe/ I use a coffee filter that goes into a regular coffee pot to enclose the spices and tie up with string. Then I can pull it out and discard.

Nomi

Traditionally, black eyed peas are eaten on the Jewish New Years (Rosh Hashana), along with other foods whose names signify good luck for the upcoming year. The Hebrew name for these peas is "increase" - symbolizing our wish to have a fruitful year, with many merits.

Denise Bachman

Okay my first thought is why tie up all the flavor in cheesecloth and discard it, especially the garlic! Even the peppercorns are fine being loose, if you encounter one you can remove it from your spoon or just eat it, which gives a zap of black pepper flavor. And it is easy enough to remove two bay leaves at the end. There is also no note about what to do with the giant onion halves at the end, not to mention the cloves, which is, in my opinion, the main spice I would not want to bite down on.

dimmerswitch

If you soak the BEP then it your experience is like mine, it will take only about 40 minutes for them to cook, not the 1 - 2 hour specified. The one change I would make if making this again would be to NOT soak the BEP. But the recipe and the package, I used Marsh Hen brand which is an artisan grower / producer and mill in SC, both said to soak them overnight.

dimmerswitch

Recipe author Mashama Bailey is 2 time Beard awarded chef; the amount of water in this recipe is not a misprint, as some have suggested. It is intended and also the recipe as it appears in her cookbook, The Grey. Use less if you choose and it will still be delicious flavors but water and EVOO amounts are intended. I scaled recipe back by half but made it as written. Not sure I will ever be a fan of BEP texture, but this broth is "IT". Every step matters, charring the onion for example.

AJ

This is a simple, but effective vegetarian option for black eyed peas. In addition to the onion, I added a poblano pepper which I sliced in half, deseeded, and charred like the onion. The result was delicious.

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Credits

Adapted from Mashama Bailey, the Grey, Savannah, Ga.

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