A doubled Southern-style black-eyed peas recipe made with smoked sausage and smoked turkey or ham hock for deep, rich flavor. Simple, hearty, and perfect for feeding a crowd.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds dried black-eyed peas
- 2 pounds smoked sausage diced
- 1 –2 pounds smoked turkey or 1 large ham hock
- 2 large onions diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 –6 teaspoons garlic minced
- 2 jalapeños minced (optional) or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 –4 teaspoons Creole Kick to taste
- 14 –16 cups chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Soak peas overnight in plenty of water. Drain and rinse well.
- Quick soak: Boil peas 2 minutes, cover, let stand 1 hour, then drain and rinse.
- Brown sausage in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove and set aside, leaving drippings in the pot.
- Sauté aromatics by adding onions and celery to the pot. Cook 8–10 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and jalapeños (or cayenne) and cook 1 minute.
- Simmer by returning sausage to the pot. Add peas, smoked turkey or ham hock, broth, bay leaves, and Creole kick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1–1½ hours until peas are tender.
- Finish by removing turkey or ham hock, shredding meat, and returning it to the pot. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
