Black-eyed Pea Cakes with Tomato Salsa
- 1 cup dried black-eyed peas, washed and sorted but not soaked
- One ½-pound smoked ham hock
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ cup soft white bread crumbs (about)
- ½ teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal (for dredging)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (for frying)
- Tomato Salsa
Instructions:
These cakes are rich enough to serve as the main course of a light lunch or supper.
- Cook the black-eyed peas and ham hock in the chicken broth in a covered large, heavy saucepan over moderately low heat for 1 to 1¼ hours or until the peas are soft. Drain into a large fine sieve, reserving the ham hock and broth for soup another day. Transfer the peas to a large mixing bowl and cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small, heavy skillet over moderately low heat; add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeño, and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes or until limp. Add to the peas and cool.
- Mix in the egg yolk along with the bread crumbs, hot pepper sauce, coriander, cumin, and black pepper, then mash with a potato masher. If too soft to shape, mix in a few more bread crumbs. Set uncovered in the refrigerator and let stand for at least 1 hour.
- When ready to proceed, shape the mixture into 12 small patties measuring about 2½ inches in diameter and ½ inch thick. Dredge in the cornmeal, shaking off any excess.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat for 1½ to 2 minutes or until ripples appear on the skillet bottom. Add half of the patties and brown 1 to 1½ minutes on each side; drain on paper toweling. Brown and drain the remaining patties the same way.
- To serve, ladle a little of the Tomato Salsa on each of four luncheon plates, then arrange the black-eyed pea cakes artfully on top.