Notes
Soaking your beans – For the best, creamiest, most flavorful beans, season your bean-soaking water with one tablespoon of kosher salt (about 15 grams) per liter, rinse the beans with fresh water before cooking, then add a pinch of salt to the cooking water as well. If you don’t have time to soak the beans, just be prepared for the cooking time to increase slightly. Soak for a least 8 hours, but it can be longer, just make sure that they are in a cool place, such as the refrigerator.
https://www.seriouseats.com/salt-beans-cooking-soaking-water-good-or-bad
Water vs Stock – if you have good quality/ tasting stock then feel free to use it but otherwise it turns out great if you just use water for cooking.
Cooking Beans – When cooking beans cover them with at least 3 cm of water. Bring the beans to a boil then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir them gently and occasionally, never letting them hit a strong boil; this can burst their skins and make them mushy or unevenly cooked. Add water as needed but towards the end of the cook, allow the water to reduce to end up with the right water/bean ratio you are looking for. If you want to thicken the broth, add a couple of tablespoons of rice about 30 minutes before you think they will be done, or you can smash some of the beans with the back of a spoon and stir the mush into the broth.
Ingredients
1 pound dried black-eyed peas, picked over for stones, rinsed, soaked in saltwater overnight, and drained
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp Thyme
1 – 2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (depending on strength of you red-pepper flakes, or if using fresh chilis adjust accordingly)
6 cups water
1 Ham Hock or 4 thick-cut bacon slices (optional)
2 tbsp rice (optional, for thickening towards the end)
Fine salt and black pepper
For Serving
Cooked long grain rice
Tabasco / Hot pepper sauce
Tomato Ketchup
Directions
Step 1 – Soak the Beans
Soak the black-eyed peas in salted, cold water overnight or for at least 8 hours, then drain when ready to cook.
Step 2 – Cook the Beans
The total cooking time can take between 1-2 hours and will vary dramatically depending on the age of the beans.
In a large saucepan, cook the onion and garlic until just translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the Bay Leaf, Thyme, red-pepper flakes/chili and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the drained black-eyed peas, ham hock/bacon if using and water/stock, enough to cover everything by at least 3 cm. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring every 15-20 minutes and adding water as needed. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
If planning on thickening the broth, simmer until just short of tender leaving about 30 minutes of cooking time left. It doesn’t need to be exact.
Step 3 – Final Season and Thickening the Broth
About 30 minutes before you think the beans are done, taste and season with salt, pepper flakes or hot pepper sauce as desired. Stir in the rice if thickening the broth. Cover and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, until ready to serve. The longer it stands the better it becomes. If it gets to cool, reheat and let it simmer for a few minutes just prior to serving.