Black Eyed Pea Fritters

Black Eyed Pea Fritters

From the Rancho Gordo Bean club 2023Q4 newsletter.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry black eyed peas
• Salt
• 4 green onions finely chopped
• 1 or 2 jalapenos chopped finely (optional)
• 1/8 of a red bell pepper chopped medium (optional)
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Peanut or vegetable oil
• Chipotle Aioli or sour cream for dipping

Procedure

1. Soak peas in a large bowl with 1 tsp salt for 12 hours.
2. Removing the skins is the hard part. The first attempt used baking soda instead of salt and it was a lot of work. The skins didn't come off just with rubbing, they had to be crushed using a Corelle cereal bowl as a pestle.
3. Puree the husked peas in a food processor with 1-2 tsp salt, the baking powder and cornmeal.
4. Mix the puree in a bowl with peppers and green onions. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes up to overnight.
5. Heat oil up to a depth of 1 inch to 350F.
6. Form balls of the mixture or about a heaping tablespoon, drop into the oil and press into shape with a spatula or the back of a large spoon.
7. Fry until golden brown, drain on a rack.
8. Serve immediately with dip.