Southern Black Eyed Peas & Blackened Fish

We all know the old Southern tradition: the first food eaten on New Year’s Day should be black-eyed peas to bring luck and prosperity in the new year. This year, we put our own Southern twist on this classic dish and paired it with blackened fish. Blackened fish is quick, easy, and a healthy way to kickstart your New Year’s resolutions. When it comes to the black-eyed peas, bring out maximum flavor by incorporating chicken broth and ham hocks. For the fish, we recommend using a Gulf fish like Mahi Mahi, Snapper, or Grouper. Find any of these coastal favorites at Sexton’s Seafood Market in Destin, Joe Patti’s in Pensacola, or Fresh Market Seafood in Gulf Shores.

What You’ll Need:

Blackened Fish:
1 and a half cups salted butter, melted
6 fish fillets, about 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick
3 tbsp blackening spices

Southern Black-Eyed Peas:
1lb dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed
1 carton (32oz) chicken broth
2 smoked ham hocks
1 large onion, chopped (if using red onion, soak in water for about 15 minutes to cut the acidity down)
2 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

Blackened Fish:
Preheat a heavy, well-seasoned cast-iron skillet for about 15-30 minutes.
Set aside 12 tbsp of melted butter for serving. Transfer the rest into a shallow dish.
Dip each fillet into the remainder of the butter and season both sides with the blackening spices.
Place 2 fillets at a time into the skillet, cooking for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until the bottom is almost black, but not burned. Wipe the skillet clean between each batch of fillets!
Carefully flip the fillets so they don’t break. Pour about a tsp of butter on the cooked side and continue cooking. The fish should reach an internal temperature of 150 F.
Remove fish from pan and plate with 2 tbsp of butter for dipping.

Southern Black-Eyed Peas:
Place peas in a Dutch oven and add water, covering peas by about 2 inches.
Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse peas, then set aside.
In the same pot, saute onion in olive oil until tender. Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, pepper flakes, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the broth, ham hocks, and peas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally.
Discard bay leaves and remove ham hocks. Optional: remove the meat from the bones, chop, and return to the pan. Discard the bones.
Plate with blackened fish and enjoy!

Enjoy!

We hope you like our Southern Black-Eyed Peas & Blackened Fish! If you’ve made and enjoyed any of our Southern Scoop recipes, we’d love to see your creations! Tag us on Instagram, Facebook, or using our hashtag #MySweetSouthern. Meanwhile, if you haven’t seen our other recipes make sure you check the Gulf Coast Blog! Since we’ve got you covered from Panama City, Florida to Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan Alabama, make sure to browse on over to our events page to find out about what’s happening in your vacation area! Thank you for being a part of the Southern family, and we’ll see you next month with another delicious quick recipe!