If you don’t want or didn’t have time to soak the black-eyed peas overnight, simply power-soak them. Place the beans in a medium saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, then turn heat off. Let them sit for 45 minutes to an hour, then drain and proceed with recipe. This is the main event in the $50 dinner party. See the rest of the menu and step-by-step photos here.
Recipe information
Yield
10–12 servings
Ingredients
1
1
10
2
1
1
2
1
1
½
10
Preparation
Step 1
Heat ¼ cup oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned, 10–12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a small bowl, leaving rendered fat and oil in pot. Reduce heat to medium. Add smashed garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Add onions, chopped exterior celery ribs, and red pepper; season with salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft and golden brown, 8–10 minutes.
Step 2
Increase heat to high; add 1 cup water. Working in batches, add kale, covering pot and allowing it to steam between additions, until kale is wilted (it will look like an impossible amount of kale, but it shrinks like crazy). Season with salt and black pepper. Add peas along with cooked sausage and 11 cups water. Cut away rind from Parmesan and add rind to pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 45–60 minutes. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
Step 3
While stew is cooking, combine lemon zest and juice, parsley, chopped celery heart and leaves, grated garlic, and ¾ cup oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and black pepper.
Step 4
Heat a few tablespoons of oil (enough to cover bottom of skillet) in a large skillet over medium until oil is shimmering. Add as many slices of bread that can fit comfortably and cook until bottoms are deeply browned, 1–2 minutes. Flip, season with salt, and cook other side until deeply browned, 1–2 minutes. Transfer fried bread to a plate. Repeat with remaining slices of bread.
Step 5
Place slices of fried bread in bowls. (Bread can be broken in half to fit, but don’t worry about pieces sticking out of bowl.) Fish Parmesan rind out of stew and discard, then ladle stew over bread. Drizzle with salsa verde and pass Parmesan at table for grating over each serving.
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Reviews (15)
Back to TopMade this for the first time last year and it's a keeper!! It's so GOOD!!
Anonymous
Auburn, CA
1/3/2023
I have made this dish several times for my family. It's a keeper. I personally like it better without the sausage but it's good both ways and my family ask me to make it. It's one of our favorites.
Sandy W
Jupiter Florida
11/30/2021
I (like several others) subbed collards for a kale (a southern New Year's tradition!). Made it exactly as is suggested otherwise and it was amazing. 100% recommend making a little extra of that salsa verde cause you're gonna want to put it on everything. And y'all - this fried bread. Ugh. Oh, I used sourdough, cause that's what the local shop had in stock. Def recommended to cut your own nice, thick slices. Don't get presliced. Tooooo thin and you'll have no soft bits inside of the yummy crunchy outside.
Amanda Goodson
Austin, Texas
1/13/2021
Really wonderful for a New Year’s supper! I did sub collards (southern tradition of black eyed peas and collards) and they were perfect with the same instructions - my only error was not cutting the collards small enough. Definitely a good choice for a great new year!
Genevieve_LS
12/31/2019
I want to make this for New Years Day. Has anyone substituted collards for the kale? And if so, how was it. Or, do you think this will ruin the recipe?
Anonymous
Tampa, Fl
12/30/2019
We love this stew. Whenever the weather turns cool, it becomes a staple in our house. Often, we will make it at the weekend and then have the leftovers all week.
Anonymous
Boston, MA
11/25/2018
Just made this stew for New Year's Day. AMAZING! I absolutely love it! The stew alone without the brea, gremolata & Parmesan is spicy but with the three accoutrements, it is NOT spicy. Delicious! The only thin I did differently, I only used half a cup of olive oil for the gremolata because I ran out. didn't miss it.
Dallas, TX
1/2/2018