Black eyed peas or black eyed beans? I think English call them beans and the Americans call them peas, but either way I’ve had a bag of dried peas sitting in my cupboard for months, and this week I decided it was time I did something with them! I’m currently living without a kitchen and so searched out a slow cooker recipe for them, I found several for inspiration and this is the result. I think next time I cook it I’m going to add some chilli, and I’ll update once I’m sure. Don’t add seasoning until the end as it stops the peas cooking properly.
This recipe isn’t designed for Instagram, it’s not the prettiest dish you will ever serve, but it is proper comfort food; ideal for a cold winter meal, and in America is traditionally served on New Years Day for luck – peas for pennies.
Ingredients – serves 6
- 500g black eyed peas or beans
- 1 large gammon steak
- 1 medium onion
- 2 chicken stock cubes
- 1 litre water
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 large green peppers
- Large bunch parsley
- 4 smoked sausages
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- Lots of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Soak the peas overnight in plenty of water. If you don’t have time or forget to soak, then you can add extra water to the pot and cook for at least 8 hours.
- Chop gammon steak and peppers into small cubes roughly 15mm, finely chop garlic and onion.
- Add drained peas, water, gammon, garlic, onion, stock cubes and peppers to the slow cooker and mix well. Cook on low for a minimum of 4 hours (and up to 8)
- Turn slow cooker on high and add roughly chopped parsley and chopped sausages
- Mix butter and flour together then add to the beans mixture and thoroughly combine – this will thicken the sauce slightly.
- Test for seasoning, I think it needs a lot of pepper and salt.
- Cook for ten minutes on high to ensure flour thoroughly cooked through.
- Serve on a bed of baby spinach which will wilt with the heat of the peas.
