Black-Eyed Pea Fritters with Hot Pepper Sauce

african american food processor vegetable side vegetarian dinner lunch southern legume deep-fry vegan new year's day sugar conscious pescatarian dairy free wheat/gluten-free tree nut free soy free no sugar added kosher juneteenth

Bryant Terry

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Source

Ingredients

1 cup dried black-eyed peas, sorted, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup raw peanuts

1 teaspoon minced thyme

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1 tablespoon cornmeal

5 cups coconut oil

Method

• Remove the skins from the beans by adding them to a large bowl, filling the bowl with water, agitating the beans, and fishing out the skins that float to the top with a fine mesh strainer. Rinse beans well.

• In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the beans, onion, peanuts, thyme, cayenne, vinegar, water, and salt and pulse until completely smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

• Preheat the oven to 200° F.

• Remove the batter from the refrigerator, add the bell pepper and cornmeal, and beat with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.

• In a medium-size saucepan over high heat, warm the coconut oil until hot but not smoking, about 5 minutes.

• Lower the oil to medium high, and in batches of 5, spoon the batter into the oil, 1 tablespoon at a time. Fry, stirring around, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. If necessary, adjust the temperature to ensure that the fritters do not cook too quickly.

• Transfer the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate and allow them to drain. Transfer the drained fritters to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.

• Serve hot with Hot Pepper Sauce .