Just in case the seaweed recipe didn’t do anything for you, here’s something more traditional.

Reading through the little introduction, I remember this cookbook. Everything takes place within a sort of fictionalized world where one of the authors is ‘King Culinary’ and the stories about him are told by the other author (presumably, his wife, Queen Culinary).

On one of his State Visits down the bayou, King Culinary learned that this is the sort of Sunday dish that the lady folks will put on the back of the stove and let simmer while everybody goes to mass. It’s the kind of dish you don’t have to worry about. When the good Father lets church out, everybody goes next door to the dance hall and saloon for a hair of the dog and a chat with the neighbors. And lunch is always ready when they get home. In fact, if Papa wants to stay a while and sample Pierre’s latest batch of mash, soup’s always on when he finally staggers home, although Mama may decide to pour the dish over his head, iron pot and all. Anyhow, he will have sampled some “dam’ fine peas, we gaw-ron-tee!”

John and Glenna Uhler, Royal Recipes from the Cajun Country (1969)

CAJUN COUNTRY BLACKEYED PEAS

1 lb dried blackeyed peas, soaked in very hot water for 5 minutes, drained
1 ½ quarts beef stock, maybe more
2 C onions, chopped
¼ lb salt meat, cut into chunks
¼ bell pepper, chopped fine
1 tsp Accent
½ tsp Tabasco (or more, to taste)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 C shallots, chopped fine
1 C cooked ham, diced
2 Tbsp butter

Put 1 ½ quarts beef stock in a big iron pot, bring to a boil, add onion, salt meat chunks, bell pepper, Accent, and Tabasco, return to a boil, and add drained peas. Cook at a gentle simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes (“taste to determine when almost done”). During the last 30 minutes cooking time, add brown sugar, shallots, ham, and butter. “If liquid cooks down too far, add more beef stock sparingly.” Remove chunks of salt pork and discard (“the Royal Hounds may like it”).