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Nothing rekindles my spirits, gives comfort to my heart and mind, more than a visit to Mississippi… and to be regaled as I often have been, with a platter of fried chicken, field peas, collard greens, fresh corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes with French dressing… and to top it all off with a wedge of freshly baked pecan pie. — Craig Claiborne, Craig Claiborne’s Southern Cooking

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November 9, 2008

Black-eyed pea soup was probably a fixture in slave cabin cookery prior to the Civil War, but doesn’t show up in Southern cookbooks written by whites until the late nineteenth century.

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
1 small yellow onion
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour

Wash and pick over peas. Place peas in a 4-quart mixing bowl, cover with water and soak overnight.

Discard remaining liquid. In a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté onion until tender. Add peas, salt and cayenne; cover with 2 quarts water and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer until peas are tender, about 45 minutes. Check cooking liquid; if it hasn’t reduced by one half, increase heat and cook until approximately one quart of liquid remains. Add flour and stir to thicken. Serve with hot corn bread.