Passport & Plate - Blackeyed Peas and Yam Fritters
USA | Friday, March 6, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
Fritters:
2 cups cooked blackeyed peas, drained *
1 cup mashed yam*
5 pieces premium, thick cut bacon
2 cups diced yellow onion, divided
2 cups chopped fresh collard greens (not frozen)
½ cup diced red bell peppers
7 cloves of garlic
2 serrano chilis (can substitute jalapenos)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
sea salt
olive oil for frying
Dipping Sauce*
*Blackeyed peas
¾ cup dried peas
1 slice bacon
1 serrano chili, cut in half lengthwise to expose the seeds
3 cloves garlic
1 cup diced onion
Cover peas with water (water should cover peas by 3-4 inches)
Soak peas in water at least 8 hours. Overnight is best.
After soaking, drain peas, return to pot and add fresh water
Add bacon, chili and onion
Boil covered for 1 hour stirring occasionally
Drain peas
Discard boiled bacon slice and chili
*Mashed yam
1 small yam
1 slice bacon
Clean and peal yam. Dice yam into large chunks (about 1 ¼ cup diced)
Place yams and bacon in small pot and cover with water
Boil uncovered 20 minutes, or until yam is tender
Drain and discard boiled bacon
Transfer yams to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher
*Dipping Sauce.
2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons honey
In small bowl, combine mustard honey. Stir until well incorporated.
How to prepare this recipe1) In a frying pan cook 5 slices of bacon on medium heat until crispy. Drain bacon on paper towel. With a slotted spoon, remove any burned scraps from bacon pan. Retain 1 tablespoon bacon grease in pan, discard any extra grease.
2) Over medium heat, sauté remaining 1 cup onion in bacon grease. Cook 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3) Mince remaining garlic cloves and 1 serrano chili (I recommend spicy, but if you want mild, remove the seeds). Add chili, garlic, greens and bell pepper to the onions. Continue cooking vegetables 12-15 minutes, until greens are wilted and tender. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and the vinegar. Stir. Set vegetable mixture aside to cool
4) Add half of the cooked blackeyed peas to the yams. Mash peas and yams together. Add remaining whole peas to the yam mixture. Chop the bacon into small pieces and add to the mixture. Next add the cooked vegetables. Stir vigorously (its ok to break up some of the whole peas while stirring). Sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir. Add ½ of the flour and stir until it is well incorporated. Then add remaining flour. Stir until you can no longer see the flour.
5) Read a book, do some yoga…the mixture must be chilled in the refrigerator at least 2 hours, overnight is best. If you attempt to make the fritters now, they will sadly fall apart.
6) Heat ½ teaspoon olive oil over medium heat in non-stick skillet. Careful not to use too much oil, these fritters can be sponges. THIS IS GOING TO BE MESSY. Working quickly, take 2 tablespoons of the chilled mixture into your hands and form small thin patties 1/3 inch thick. Press in the edges to make them more compact so they don’t fall apart; they’re delicate! Pan fry on one side at least 5 minutes before attempting to flip. To become golden and crispy, they need about 10 minutes on each side. If they are browning too quickly, turn down the flame. Cook in batches. Do not crowd the pan. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately while hot with dipping sauce on the side.
The story behind this recipeI believe in foods ability to transport us across time and space. Food tells a story and is a way for people to communicate across lands and generations. I am African-American; my ancestors were slaves. They were stripped of their language, customs, religion and even their names. As is often the case with oppressed and enslaved peoples, their voices were silenced or fragmented by history. It was against the law for slaves to read and write making first-hand accounts of their lives extremely rare; which leaves us with very little to go on regarding their daily lives.
One thing, however, has traveled through space and time to give us a glimpse into their lives: food. Crops carried from Africa are what kept slaves from starving on the trans-Atlantic ships as well as what laid the foundation for what is now known simply as, American food. Blackeyed peas, yams and greens were all brought from Africa. Using these ingredients ties me to my ancestors. They give me what written records often fail to do: an almost complete story. When I soak the peas, peal the yams, and clean the greens I rejoice in knowing that this is exactly what my family did, either as slaves in the American South or as farmers in West Africa; its our small ritual (even if only in my head). I now use these same ingredients to nourish those that I love.
It is an African American tradition to eat blackeyed peas on New Years Day for good luck so I developed this recipe for that special occasion. These fritters are a mix of earthy peas, bitter greens and sweet yams making for a perfect balance of texture and flavor. This dish is delicious and it truly nourishes my soul. It symbolizes continuity helping me connect with past generations. The food tells a story of what my ancestors ate to nourish themselves; perhaps even to remind themselves of home. As much as I LOVE to travel to far away places, this recipe reminds me that food can transport us not just across distances, but back, through time.
