RCP: Marcus Samuelsson's Black Eyed Peas

[Jenise]

I love black eyed peas, and I love coconut milk curries, and I love berbere. So the thought of all three together in one dish: WOW. Here's a recipe for all in a dish Marcus Samuelsson's going to serve at his new restaurant that's opening any minute now in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It sounds fantastic.

Ingredients
2 cups dried black-eyed peas (12 ounces)
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large red onion, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 habanero chile, seeded and minced
2 teaspoons berbere seasoning (see Note)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions
Step 1

In a large saucepan, cover the peas with water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until tender, about 40 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and let stand for 5 minutes, then drain well.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chile and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the berbere and turmeric and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and stock and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.

Step 3

Add the peas to the sauce and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until the peas are lightly coated, about 10 minutes. Fold in the cilantro and scallions and serve.

[Robin Garr]

Ha! I really dislike black eyed peas, and when the Rancho Gordo Bean Club sends out a bag oe their heirloom "Lucky Black Eyed Peas" every December for New Year's celebrations, I usually gift them. But a couple of years ago they featured the Marcus Samuelsson recipe on the club's Super Sekrit FB Page, tons of people made it and raved. So I made it too, and whoa! I actually liked the little fellers that way. I'm not inspired to make it often, but it definitely clicks all the flavor boxes.

Here's the link to Marcus's recipe that was shared on the Rancho Gordo page. I think it's the same as you pasted in, Jenise, but I thought everyone might like to click over and then browse Marcus's page.
https://marcussamuelsson.com/recipe/bla ... nd-berbere

Robin, have you tried using Rancho Gordos Midnight Black Beans with this recipe? They are a wonderful substitute.

In the ingredients list, next to the berbere it says "(see note)", but there is no note about berbere on the web page that Robin pointed to.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Robin, I used to *hate* black eyed peas. In fact, I started out life hating beans altogether. Fresh limas were good yes, but dried bean things (frijoles, bean soups) were nasty--flavor as well as texture. In adulthood I've come to love them all, but BEP were the last one for me to warm up to. They just tasted weird. Don't know how I changed, but I did--and now I adore their unique flavor. There's hope for you!

As someone who eats beans/lentils at least 4/5 meals each week, hard to go wrong with a recipe where you add so much flavor at the end! Coconut milk is an obvious crowd pleaser, although I don't use very often. The other stuff is also a no-brainer for flavor.

My take on beans is the mirror image of Jenise's. I like nearly all dishes made with dried legumes (frijoles dals, lentils, sprouted beans) but I dislike the flavor and texture of fresh beans and peas, with the exception of snow pea pods.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, do you like other fresh vegetables, or even raw vegetables? Do you make salads?

I've always liked raw vegetables. When watching Bugs Bunny cartoons as a kid I always asked my mother for a raw carrot and I would take a bite every time Bugs did. My carrot never lasted as long as his. I've always liked salads.

I hated most cooked vegetables as a kid, but that is because my mother used the traditional American preparation method, which is to cook them to death until they're grey and mushy. Brassicas suffer the most from this treatment. For me the worst was Brussels sprouts. My opinion was that a Brussels sprout took all of the objectionable qualities of a whole head of cabbage and concentrated it into something you had to bite into at least once before you could swallow it.

When I first started living on my own and cooking for myself, I picked up a head of broccoli at the supermarket and was surprised that it was firm and not mushy. My next thought was, "Of course it's not mushy, you fool--it's a raw plant." I soon learned that most of the vegetables I detested as a kit are actually enjoyable if they're not overcooked.

But I still don't care for corn (can take it or leave it--mostly leave it) or fresh beans (with the exception of snow pea pods).

-Paul W.