Similar to many cultures, growing up we ate specific food on January 1st in the hopes of bringing luck and prosperity in the new year. For us, that meant enjoying pork and sauerkraut as part of a long-standing German tradition.
This year, we changed things up with the Southern/Black tradition of black-eyed peas (for luck) and collard greens (for prosperity)
One caveat before diving into these Black-Eyed Peas and Rice: I either mis-measured the liquid or overcooked the dish as the recipe ends with “fluff the rice with a fork before serving” but instead of the distinct beans and rice, mine turned into a thick mix.
Despite that, it tasted amazing! The recipe involves crisping bacon in a Dutch oven, sautéing onions and garlic, adding stock, ham, and black-eyed peas, simmering, then finally adding rice.
This dish was unbelievably good. The bacon and ham imbue every last morsel with a smoky meatiness – this is officially a new favorite in our house!
Stay tuned for the rest of our NYD meal!
Book: Jubilee, page 166
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: chicken stock
Pricey Ingredients: —
Hard-to-find: —
Recipe on Shondland.com
