This is something that was inspired by a bag of frozen black-eyed peas I bought on an impulse one time. I have since made it using dried beans and canned beans as well. I have varied it using various beans and different pork products, changing the seasonings as well. I have even substituted mushrooms for the meat. This version goes great with cornbread. Pass the Tabasco, please.
INGREDIENTS:
Grapeseed, or other neutral flavored oil, as needed¼ cup trimmings from the ham (fat, outside edge), or pancetta or bacon, diced
1 medium spring onion, or ½ white or brown onion, diced finely
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled, de-germed, and minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
½ pound ham, cut into ½ inch dice
1 bunch of Scotch kale, stems stripped, leaves washed and torn into bite-sized bits
Water as needed
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas at room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
Heat a large pan over medium heat. When warm, film it with oil and then add the ham trimmings or pancetta or bacon. Cook gently, rendering the pork and flavoring the oil. If the pork is not yielding much oil, add a little more grapeseed oil to the pan.
Once the pork is rendered, add the onions, celery, and carrot, tossing to coat with the oil. Cook until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent. Make a well in the center and, adding oil if needed, add the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, then toss to mix into the rest of the vegetables. Sprinkle the thyme over everything, and toss to mix in. Add the ham into the pan, tossing to mix in. Cook a few moments until you can smell the ham and it is getting a little color.
Add half the kale, and use tongs to turn it so it comes in contact with the pan. Cook a few minutes so the kale wilts a bit, then add the rest and turn the kale again, helping it to wilt. Add 4 ounces of water to the pan, and let it cook down, stirring the kale around a bit. Continue cooking the kale, adding a little water and cooking it away until the kale is wilted and tender. Make a well in the center of the vegetables and add ½ cup of water. Add the peas into the water in the pan and shake the pan to level out the peas. Cook to heat through, adding water if needed. When the peas are hot, toss all the contents of the pan to mix everything, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Chef’s Notes:
Feel free to use different beans and/or greens. Use this recipe with Lacinato kale (a.k.a Cavolo Nero or black cabbage) and cannelini beans, using pancetta and sage. You could also throw Italian sausage into the mix rather than pancetta. You could even use bits of duck or duck confit and use white beans with Scotch kale. This recipe works fine with collards, too. If you want to skip the meat but still like the idea of the smoky flavor, use Pimenton de la Vera-Spanish smoked paprika-when cooking the vegetables and this will yield that sweet and smoky flavor the pork gives. You could sauté mushrooms in wine and garlic to take the place of the texture the meat gives. I like to use Tabasco hot sauce as I think the vinegar adds a nice tang to the dish. If you like the idea of the tang but don’t like the sting, just hit the dish at the end with a little distilled white or red wine vinegar.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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