SPICY-SMOKY EAST-WEST BLACK-EYED PEAS

Because I am vegetarian, these black-eyes, untraditionally, don’t have ham or bacon in them. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t recall fondly the smoky savor and fatty richness that these ingredients add to such beans; so, I just set out to find a non-animal way to get there.

What makes these smoky? A mixture of chipotle peppers and toasted sesame oil. Miso, a fermented soybean paste, is available at natural foods supermarkets (in the refrigerator case) and Asian groceries; it and the sesame are what add the “East” to these delectable beans. Like so many fermented foods, the miso adds a nice savory umani wallop.I did cut back on the fat, but the little bit that’s included is just enough to meld and rise all the flavors.

I have given two methods here: one in the slow-cooker, one traditional stove-top. If you are an Insta-Pot devotee, you can easily convert either to your particular Insta.

Spicy-Smoky East-West Black-Eyed Peas
(slow-cooker overnight method)

Serves 6 to 8, accompanied by cornbread and a salad

1 pound dried black-eyed peas
Water
5 cloves garlic, 3 chopped, 2 left whole
½ dried chipotle pepper, broken in half
2 large onions, 1 quartered, the other chopped
1 to 2 heaping tablespoons dark or light miso
3 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as canola, soy, or peanut
2 carrots, scrubbed and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped, optional
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
(additional water, or vegetable or chicken stock, optional)
salt, to taste
fresh-cracked black pepper, to taste

1. Last thing before you go to bed, rinse the black-eyed peas well and place them in the slow-cooker with enough water to cover them by about three inches. Add the two whole garlic cloves, the dried chipotle, and the quartered onion. Set the cooker to High, cover, and go to bed.

2. In the morning, heat a large, heavy skillet, and add the vegetable oil. Add the chopped onion. Sauté, stirring often, for about 8 minutes. Add the carrots and continue sautéing, stirring often, for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add the celery and red pepper and sauté a few minutes longer. Finally, lower heat, add chopped garlic, and sauté 2 minutes more.

3. Stir the vegetable sauté, with the sesame oil, and miso, into the simmering, now-tender black-eyes. Fish out the dried chipotle piece and discard it, and stir the beans very well to distribute the miso and sesame oil. If you like, scoop out ¾ of a cup or so of the beans and mash them, then add them back to the cooker, thickening the beans. Or, if you feel the beans are too thick, add a cup or two of water or stock. Add salt (beans need quite a bit) and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to Medium, and continue simmering the beans at least one hour. Your guests will arrive to delicious cooking fragrance and even more delicious beans.

Spicy-Smoky East-West Black-Eyed Peas
(conventional stove-top method)

Serves 6 to 8, accompanied by cornbread and a salad

1. Rinse the black-eyed peas well and place them in large, heavy soup-pot with enough water to cover them by about three inches. Bring to a hard boil, and boil vigorously for 5 to 10 minutes. Then lower heat to a simmer, and add the two whole garlic cloves, the dried chipotle, and the quartered onion. Cover, and let peas cook for at least an hour.

2. Taste beans for tenderness. Once they are approaching softness, heat a large, heavy skillet, and add the vegetable oil. Add the chopped onion. Sauté, stirring often, for about 8 minutes. Add the carrots and continue sautéing, stirring often, for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add the celery and red pepper and sauté a few minutes longer. Finally, lower heat, add chopped garlic, and sauté 2 minutes more.

3. Check the black-eyes. Once they are fully tender (the range is 45-50 minutes to 90-120; it depends on the age of the crop of your particular bag of black-eyes), stir the vegetable sauté, with the sesame oil and miso, into the simmering, black-eyes. Fish out what’s left of the dried chipotle piece and discard it, and stir the beans very well to distribute the miso and sesame oil. If you like, scoop out ¾ of a cup or so of the beans and mash them, then add them back to the pot, thickening the beans. Or, if you feel the beans are too thick, add a cup or two of water or stock. Add salt (beans need quite a bit) and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to Medium, and continue simmering the beans at least one hour.

Take time to inhale the delicious cooking fragrances, even before you enjoy the more delicious beans.