New Year Black-Eyed Peas (Smoked Pork and Tomato Stew)

• 300 g Black-eyed peas, dried
• 1 medium Smoked ham hock, bone-in
• 1 large Yellow onion
• 2 pieces Celery
• 1 medium Green pepper
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 400 g Canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 Bay leaves
• ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ tsp Fine sea salt
• 250 g Long-grain white rice
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 1.5 liters Water

1. Rinse the black-eyed peas in a colander, then tip them into a large pot with the smoked ham hock and water. Bring to the boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion, celery and green pepper, and crush the garlic. In a saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion, celery and green pepper with a pinch of the salt until softened but not browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Scrape the softened vegetables into the pot with the peas, then add the canned chopped tomatoes, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, remaining salt and black pepper. Simmer gently, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender and the broth is rich, about 60 to 75 minutes.
4. Lift out the ham hock and set aside until cool enough to handle. Pull the meat from the bone, discarding skin and bone, then shred the meat and return it to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning with a little more fine sea salt if needed.
5. While the beans finish, cook the long-grain white rice in a saucepan according to packet instructions until tender. Serve the black-eyed peas spooned over the rice, with plenty of the smoky tomato broth.

Made this recipe? Rate it — a comment is optional.