Unlike my mom and many Southern cooks of her generation, for whom fatback was the preferred flavoring agent, I most often make peas in a savory broth flavored by bacon, country ham, or olive oil. Either way, the cooked peas yield a rich, saucy pot likker that just begs to be soaked up with cornbread.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the bacon and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook and stir until the bacon is crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the onion and cook and stir for another 3 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Step 2
Meanwhile, rinse and drain the peas, discarding any blemished peas or bits of pod. When the onion is cooked, place the peas in the pan and add the water. Add the butter, chile pepper, sage, salt, and black pepper and stir to mix. Bring to a low boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the peas are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, skimming the foam as it rises to the top of the cooking liquid. Remove from the heat, season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired, and serve warm.
Chew on this: About Field Peas
Step 3
When Southerners mention peas, nine times out of ten they are talking about fresh field peas, not the ubiquitous green peas in the frozen food aisle of the grocery store. The term field pea is a catchall used to refer to hundreds of varieties with names that range from journalistic (black-eyed, pink-eyed, and purple hull), to Southern gothic (Dixie Lees, lady peas, and Old Timers). Hardy and drought tolerant, they are also perfectly suited to the climate of the South. Unlike sugar snap and English peas, which can be eaten raw or cooked, pod and all, field peas must be shelled and cooked prior to serving. Field peas differ subtly in flavor from variety to variety, but they are uniformly delicious, with a robust, nutty flavor and an addictively creamy finish.
