Made this for New Year's Day and will never make anything else!
Ingredients
- 6 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped (about 1 Tbsp.)
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 8 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups fresh or frozen black-eyed peas
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
- Fresh scallions, sliced
Directions
- Cook bacon: Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until starting to crisp, about 10 minutes.
- Add vegetables and seasonings: Add celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, black pepper, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 8 minutes.
- Add broth and peas: Add broth and black-eyed peas, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until peas are tender, about 40 minutes.
- Drain pea mixture, reserving cooking liquid. Return pea mixture and 1 cup of the cooking liquid to Dutch oven. Cover to keep warm; set aside.
- Cook rice: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add rice and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until rice is tender, 15 to 18 minutes.Fluff rice with a fork. Alternatively, cook the rice in the rice cooker.
- Combine rice and pea mixture: Gently stir into pea mixture in Dutch oven. Stir in remaining cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle servings with sliced fresh scallions.