Make Your New Favorite Fried Black-Eyed Bean Sauce
Canned black-eyed peas are quickly becoming one of my favorite pantry staples. They make a great quick stew , amazing hummus and, as I have suspected for a long time, are delicious when re-fried.
Fried in rich bacon and mixed with onions, the nutty, savory legumes become silky and rich – perfect for spreading on tortillas, dressing with corn chips, or serving with vegetables for a rustic cheese dish. As with any roasted beans, making roasted black eyes is not difficult or time consuming at all. To make them you will need:
- 1 can (about 2 cups) black-eyed peas, dried and rinsed
- 1-2 tablespoons bacon fat, lard, or vegetable oil (or whatever oil you may like)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons of water
Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas and leave them in a colander on top of a kitchen towel to drain. Heat one tablespoon of your chosen fat in a small Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and when melted add the garlic and cook until fragrant and slightly golden brown. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions, bay leaves and a large pinch of salt and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. Increase heat to medium, add black-eyed peas and cook until crumbling, scraping the bottom of the pan as needed to remove any browned pieces. If everything gets a little dry, add another tablespoon of fat.
Once the beans are tender, remove the bay leaf, transfer the remaining ingredients to a food processor and whisk or whisk until desired consistency, adding water a tablespoon at a time to soften if necessary. (You can also use a hand blender or even mashed potatoes if you like a coarser consistency.) Scrape into a serving bowl for dipping or directly onto tortillas.