Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Taken from "Celebrations on the Bayou", published in 1989 by the Junior League of my home town, Monroe, Louisiana. There are lots of blackeye pea dip recipes out there, but this one really stands out from the crowd. Please don't let the long and quirky ingredients list dissuade you; this dip is quick and easy to make and the flavor is just exceptional. Let me put it this way: I brought this to a neighborhood party once, and three years later one of the men asked me if I would make that "weird blackeye pea dip that was so danged good" again. A good ole boy in overalls doesn't remember a dip he had at a party three years ago for no reason. I wish I had invented this dip.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2  stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1  large onion, finely chopped
• 1  teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
• 1⁄2 cup ketchup
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 3  chicken bouillon cubes
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and liquid reserved
• 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel Tomatoes, undrained
• 1  garlic clove, pressed
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄2 cup bacon drippings
• 3  tablespoons flour

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the bell pepper, celery, onion, black pepper, Tabasco, ketchup, salt, bullion cubes, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until mixture is boiling and bullion cubes are dissolved.
2. Add peas, Rotel, garlic, and sugar and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Stir flour into warm bacon drippings (that way the flour doesn't lump) and stir flour/dripping mixture into peas.
4. Cook ten minutes more. Mixture should be thick enough to use as dip. I reserve the liquid from the canned peas "just in case" but usually the thickness is just right or maybe only a little bit of liquid is needed- I wait till the end of cooking to see.
5. Scoop a couple of cups of the finished peas out and set aside. Using a blender, food processor, or stick blender, blend the most of the peas to a medium-smooth dip, then return the couple of cups of whole peas back in, stir, and serve. Mashing the most of the peas makes a nice smooth dip that clings to a chip well, while leaving a small portion of them whole makes a nice presentation.
6. Serve with Frito Scoop chips or corn bread.