Black-Eyed Pea Jambalaya

Every January I make a pot of black-eyed pea jambalaya to start the new year with good luck. So far in 2020 the peas haven’t warded off a pandemic, but they have helped me to look on the bright side of our situation. Despite being mostly confined to our home, we have access to stores, technology and the post office help us stay connected with family and friends, and I really like the person I live with.

But why cook this jambalaya in May? For one, I had an extra pound of Camellia black-eyed peas in my pantry and extra smoked sausage in my freezer. Raiding the pantry and making a dish that can be divided up and shared or frozen to enjoy later makes sense right now.

A Shared Recipe

This recipe came my way via our friend Dave, a college friend who lived in our hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, for several years. During that time, Dave made lots of friends and learned to cook all kinds of good Cajun dishes. That is a combination that enriches a lifetime. One New Year’s Day long, long ago, we called Dave to send good wishes his way, and he shared the recipe for what he was cooking as we spoke. I hurriedly scribbled the details he shared and made Dave’s black-eyed pea jambalaya myself. We loved it. It’s reappeared over and over again at our table ever since.

Like many jambalayas, this recipe combines the Cajun trinity (onion, bell pepper, and celery) with some type of meat and rice.

The simple ingredients and preparation steps for this black-eyed pea jambalaya highlight what we love about Southern Louisiana food—it’s both delicious and economical to make.

Making the Jambalaya Base

I think that Dave throws all of his chopped vegetables in the pot at the same time to sauté them, but I like to do mine in stages. I start with the chopped onions, then follow with the celery and bell pepper. Once they’re pretty soft, in go the garlic and serrano pepper. (I was out of jalapeños).

Next the rinsed and drained peas go into the softened vegetable mixture, along with broth and simple seasonings.

I do not soak my black-eyed peas before cooking. Their small size allows them to cook pretty quickly, and it’s one extra planning step I can avoid.

After around two hours, the peas are almost finished cooking. That’s when I add sliced smoked sausage and let the whole mixture cook another 30 minutes, or until the peas are just done. I used Savoie’s Cajun Andouille sausage for this batch of jambalaya.

I felt fortunate that we ordered several types of sausage a few months ago when Chuck was preparing to make his winter gumbos. But I’ve had success with Polska Kielbasa and even smoked turkey sausage in the past.

To Make Ahead or Not?

If you wish to put the jambalaya together the same day you cook the black-eyed peas, prepare a pot of rice at the point that the sausage has gone into the peas. Once the rice is ready, spoon about one-third of it into the peas and sausage, distribute it with gentle turns, and continue until all the rice has been mixed in.  Then let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to marry. Sprinkle with fresh green onion tops and chopped parsley leaves before serving a warm bowl to each of your guests.

They will find that the jambalaya has the earthy essence of the black-eyes  in each bite.  For our batch, the smoky flavor of andouille permeated the peas and lent a bit of heat to each forkful. The rice counterbalances the peas and sausage.

I think this jambalaya tastes best after resting a bit, so I refrigerate the cooked peas and sausage and rewarm them the next day.  After cooking some rice, I stir it into the pea mixture and let it soak up a bit of the remaining broth. Then it’s ready to turn out onto plates, garnish with a bit of green, and help us to prepare for some positive months ahead.

Dave’s Black-Eyed Pea Jambalaya

Dawn Dobie

Cajun comfort food that can bring good luck any time of the year.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1-3 jalapeños or 1-2 serrano chiles, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas --I used Camellia brand
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound smoked sausage --Andouille, polska kielbasa, smoked turkey sausage or something similar—I used Savoie’s Cajun Smoked Andouille
• 3 cups raw white long-grain rice --cooked according to package directions
• green onion tops and chopped fresh parsley for garnish about 1/3 cup of each
• Tabasco

Instructions

 

• Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add the chopped bell pepper and celery and continue to sauté, stirring frequently for another 5 minutes or so, until the vegetables look wilted.
• While the onions, celery, and bell pepper are sautéing, place the peas in a colander and sort through, removing any discolored ones or debris. Rinse the peas with water and drain.
• Add the minced garlic and jalapeño to the onion mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the drained peas, broth, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the pot and raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil, stir, then lower the heat to simmer. Partially cover and continue to cook for 1 1/2 -2 hours, gently stirring occasionally, until the peas are close to being soft.
• Meanwhile cut the smoked sausage links in half lengthwise and in half lengthwise again. Slice the lengths into 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick pieces.
• Add the sausage pieces to the bean mixture and stir well. Continue cooking over low heat for 30 more minutes.
• At the end of the cooking time, taste the bean mixture to see if it needs more salt or pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook the rice.
• Mix the cooked rice with the black-eyed pea mixture and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onion tops and parsley, if desired. Serve, passing the Tabasco.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe by my friend Dave.

For best results, cool, cover and refrigerate cooked pea and sausage mixture overnight before adding rice. To serve, cook the rice according to package directions. Rewarm the pea mixture over medium low heat. Combine the rice and pea mixture and allow to sit for 15 minutes off heat.  Garnish with green onions and parsley and serve.

The black-eyed pea and sausage base can be frozen for up to 3 months.  It can also be divided into smaller portions and shared.