Bahamian Peas and Rice

Name: Bahamian Peas and Rice
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: The Bahamas
Ingredients: 6 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered, or 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 medium-size onion, finely chopped; 4 slices of bacon, cut into ¼-inch slivers; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 medium-size red (bell) pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped; 2 cups cooked pigeon peas, black-eyed peas, or kidney beans; 3 cups long-grain white rice; 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; ½ teaspoon sugar; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste; 2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste

Bahamas

Preparation info

Serves
8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Barbecue Bible

By Steven Raichlen

Published 1998

About

Peas and rice are a staple on every island in the Caribbean. The “peas” in this case are pigeon peas, a greenish-brown, earthy-flavored bean native to Africa. The African origins are evident in some of the bean’s local names. Jamaicans call it Gunga pea (Congo pea). In the French West Indies, it’s known as pois d’angole (pea from Angola), a name echoed in the Spanish term gandule. If you live in the American South, you probably know it as “crowder.”

Whatever you call i