Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Recipe
Chef JJ presents an environment for connection through food that transcends people, memories, and generations.
This dish infuses traditional black-eyed peas with the Afro-Asian flavors that are at the heart of “Between Harlem and Heaven:” cumin and cilantro, bird’s-eye chile and lime. You can use canned peas for ease and not sacrifice any of the bold flavors. It’s a comforting weeknight dish that will also hold pride of place at any Sunday supper.
From the book Between Harlem and Heaven by JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls. Copyright © 2018 by JJ Johnson and Alexander Smalls. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved.
- Prep 20 minutes
- Cook 40 minutes
- Servings 6 cups
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 bird's-eye chile, diced, with seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup canned chipotles in adobo, with their sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 cups cooked black-eyed peas, or 2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- juice and zest of 1 lime, zest removed in large pieces with a vegetable peeler (11/2 tablespoons juice)
- freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
In a 6-quart pot heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with salt, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, chile, and cuin and cook for 2 additional minutes.
Add the chipotles in adobo and break the chiles up with a wooden spoon, Bring to a simmer and cook to reduce the sauce down for 1 minute.
Add the cilantro and peas, then pour in the stock. Add the lime juice and zest and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium.
Let the beans simmer for about 30 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced but the beans still hold their shape. Remove the pieces of lime zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
JJ Johnson
JJ Johnson is a James Beard Award-Winning Chef, TV personality and author known for barrier-breaking cuisine informed by the Caribbean flavors of his upbringing. At FIELDTRIP, his made-to-order rice bowl concept in Harlem and Rockefeller Center, JJ highlights rice as a hero ingredient in globally inspired recipes. JJ is the host of ‘Just Eats with Chef JJ’ on Cleo TV and finalist for the 2022 James Beard Awards ‘Best Chef in New York State’. He serves on the James Beard Impact Programs Advisory Committee and sits on the junior board of Food Bank for New York City, taking action to end hunger.
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