CAJUN BLACK EYED PEAS w/ Chicken & Smoked Sausage

CAJUN BLACK EYED PEAS

I’ve had the opportunity to visit New Orleans twice and I fell in love with the food, the music, and the pervading sense of history in every nook and cranny of the city.  This dish brings back memories of those visits in the best of ways with the deep savoury flavours of classic Cajun comfort food.
Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil

3 rashers of bacon, chopped
1  large yellow onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
1/2 diced green bell pepper
1/2 diced red bell pepper
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning (I like Slap ya Mama or Tony Chachere’s)
1 lbs smoked sausage, cut into cubes

1/2 lb chicken breast, cubed 
2 cups dried black eyed peas (look through and remove stones/flawed peas)
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock 
1 tsp hot sauce (I used Franks but Tabasco works as well)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and medium-grind pepper, to taste
good quality olive oil, to taste

INSTANT-POT DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash black eyed peas and remove any pebbles/flawed peas.

2. Turn on the Sauté mode of your instapot. Add olive oil, bacon, onion, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté until veggies are slightly tender, about 4-5 minutes.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Put lid on Instant Pot and lock.

4. Turn on the ‘manual’ setting and set to 45 minutes at high pressure. When cycle is done, open lid and stir, mashing some of the black eyed peas for a creamy texture. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

5. Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

***Stove top directions in comments.

STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS: (this method requires pre-soaking of peas)
***Wash and remove pebbles/flawed peas and soak beans in cold water overnight. 

1. Sauté olive oil, bacon, onion, celery, bell peppers and garlic until veggies are slightly tender, about 4-5 minutes in a large heavy bottomed pot.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Cover and lower heat to medium and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

4. You may need to add more chicken stock half way through as the stove top method causes some evaporation.

5. When the beans are tender and easily mashed with a fork, mash half of the black eyed peas for a creamy texture.

6. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

7. Garnish with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.