Black-Eyed Peas

Dried black-eyed peas, also sold as cowpeas or field peas. Buy from a store with good turnover: peas that have sat in a warehouse for over a year cook unevenly, and the stragglers never fully soften. Rinse them in a colander and pick through for small stones and shriveled peas before they hit the pot. Stored airtight in a cool pantry they keep about a year, and cooked peas hold 4–5 days in the fridge or freeze for 3 months. Pro tip for freezing: freeze them in their cooking liquid, which keeps the skins from splitting.

Black-eyed peas are the rare dried bean you can cook on a weeknight without planning ahead. Thin skins mean no overnight soak required: figure 45–60 minutes on the stovetop straight from the bag, or 25–30 minutes if you pre-soaked. Pull them when they're creamy inside but still holding their shape. Salt the pot at the start, not the end. The old rule that salt toughens beans has it backwards and late salt leaves them bland in the middle. I won't make a New Year's pot without a smoked ham hock or turkey wing in there.