BLACK-EYED PEA GRIDDLE CAKE

Ingredients 4 cups dry black-eyed peas 10-12 cups warm water 1 small sweet onion, diced 3 garlic cloves 1-2 serrano peppers, chopped 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, chopped 1/3 cup chopped cilantro 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds, toasted ¼ cup cane syrup or sorghum, divided Salt and black pepper to taste 1/3 cup Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil

Directions 1Soak black-eyed peas in 10 to 12 cups warm water for 2 hours. Then, drain peas, reserving 1 cup of soaking liquid. In a large bowl, combine soaked peas with onion, garlic, peppers, ginger, cilantro, and cumin. In a blender or food processor, blend mixture in two or three batches, adding soaking liquid a little at a time as needed until it’s the consistency of cornbread batter. (If using a blender, be careful not to blend peas too fine or add too much liquid to speed up the process.) Fold in salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons cane syrup. In a nonstick skillet or a griddle over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons Cilantro and Roasted Onion Olive Oil until it shimmers. Add dollops of about 1 ounce of batter to create silver dollar-sized griddle cakes and fry until crispy and golden brown on one side. Flip and finish cooking through, adding a few drops of Cilantro and Roasted onion Olive Oil as necessary. Repeat with remaining batter, heating additional oil between each batch. Drizzle hot griddle cakes with remaining cane syrup.