The lowly black-eyed pea mixes and mingles with fluffy rice making for the perfect bowl of comfort!
Cook Time 2 hourshrs
Course Side Dishes, Soups and Stews
Servings 6to 8 servings
Equipment
Large stockpot
medium saucepan
Ingredients
4tablespoonsolive oil, divided
8slicesbacon, sliced into pieces
4stalkscelery chopped, about 1-¾ cups
1large sweet onion chopped, about 2 to 2-½ cups
1green bell pepper, seeded and chopped, about 1-½ cups
4teaspoonschopped garlic
1tablespoonfresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonfreshly cracked black pepper
1teaspoonCreole seasoning
8cupschicken stock
2packagesfresh black-eyed peas, 12-ounces each, about 4 cups, rinsed and sorted
1-½cupsBasmati or Jasmine rice
Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
In a large stockpot heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pieces of bacon and cook until the bacon renders its fat and just starts to crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the chopped celery, sweet onion, bell pepper and garlic. Continue cooking over medium heat until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
Toss in the fresh thyme, kosher salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the peas are very tender – about 45 minutes to one hour.
In a medium saucepan heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the rice and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes to lightly toast the rice.
Skim off 3 cups of the cooking stock and add to the rice. Cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Cook the rice for 20 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. When the rice is cooked fluff it with a fork.
Drain the remaining liquid from the cooked peas and add the cooked rice, about 1 cup at a time. You can add all the rice if you like more rice to peas, less if you like more peas. If you want more of a soup just leave the extra cooking stock in the pan.
Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
You can reheat this dish in the oven by adding a bit of reserved cooking stock, cover and heat at 350 for about 30 to 40 minutes.