Black-Eyed Pea Tamale Filling
Ingredients
1 lb. dried black-eyed peas
1 cup roughly chopped carrots
2 to 3 celery ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. chipotle pepper paste or tomato paste
½ cup finely chopped banana pepper
1 cup Guajillo Sauce (recipe here)
Zest of 1 lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
• Day 1: In a large stockpot, cover the black-eyed peas with 6 inches of water and soak overnight in the refrigerator.
• Day 2: Drain and rinse the beans. Return them to the stockpot and cover with 2 to 3 inches of water. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves and chipotle pepper paste and stir gently. Bring the beans to boil over high heat, them reduce to medium and gently simmer 1 to 2 hours, until the beans are tender and have a creamy consistency. Skim off any foam using a slotted spoon.
• Drain the beans; remove and discard the vegetables and bay leaves. Let cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together 3 cups black-eyed peas, the banana pepper, Guajillo Sauce and lime zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Any leftover beans can be stored, refrigerated, in their cooking liquid up to 1 week.
