Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo

Happy New Year! In many parts of the country, eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day brings good luck for the rest of the year.

I'm all for that tradition. I love black-eyed peas and eat them throughout the year. They're small, sweet, and oh-so-delicious. Traditionally, they're simmered with ham or smoked ham hock and served with corn bread or greens. I think it's wonderful that way, but sometimes you want something that's not "usual".

This black-eyed pea gumbo is a perfect comfort food, I think. It's simmered with sausage, peppers, onions and more, with that wonderful spicy gumbo kick to it. Unlike other types of gumbo, this one does not use roux. The peas make their own creamy, thick broth as they cook. It's great to serve on a cold day.

Ingredients:
1 lb dried black-eyed peas.
1/2 to 1 lb diced smoked sausage, depending on how meaty you prefer it. Andouille is traditional for gumbo, but I use a local brand of jalapeno sausage. It works perfectly.
1 large onion, diced.
1 green bell pepper, diced.
2 stalks celery, diced.
4 cloves garlic, minced.
1 lb whole okra. I use frozen, but fresh is great.
1 tblsp. oil. I don't recommend olive oil. I personally don't like the taste it gives to gumbo.
1 can diced tomatoes or 4 medium-sized fresh tomatoes, diced.
Chicken broth, to cover to the beans. Canned or homemade, either works well.
1 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. paprika, preferably spicy Hungarian paprika. You can often find it next to the Cajun spices in the spice isle of the grocery store.
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste. I like it spicy and use about 1/2 tsp.

Start by soaking the peas. You can soak it overnight in the traditional method, but I prefer to quick soak them. To quick soak, rinse the dry beans, put them in a pot and add enough water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Put the pot on the stove and bring it to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the beans sit for 1 hour, then drain and rinse them.

Heat a large pot or dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the oil, celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic and sausage, and cook until the peppers are tender and the onion is translucent. Put in the beans and add enough chicken broth to cover the beans with about one inch of liquid. Add the oregano, paprika, salt and pepper and bay leaf, and bring it to a boil. Cover the pot and turn the heat to medium-low.

How long you cook the gumbo depends on how tender you like your black-eyed peas. Some like them to have a bit of firmness, others like them cooked mushy-soft and creamy. I like mine soft, so I simmer them for about 50 minutes. If you like them firmer, 30 to 40 minutes may be fine.

When the black-eyed peas are just about tender, add the tomatoes and okra. I don't even bother to defrost my frozen okra, I just throw them in frozen. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper at the very end. As with all gumbo, serve hot over white rice.