Down-Home Black-Eyed Peas

Ingredients

• 1  bay leaf 
• 3 cups black-eyed peas dry
• 0.1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 cup celery chopped
• 10 ounce okra frozen thawed sliced
• 1.3 cups onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 3 pounds ham hocks smoked
• 12 cups water 

Equipment

• pot
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Pick over the peas, rinse them, and place them in a large Dutch oven or soup pot with the water. Bring the beans to a boil for 2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
3. Stir in the ham hocks, onion, celery, salt, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf; bring to a boil, cover the pot, and simmer until the ham hocks are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Stir in the okra and simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Remove and discard bay leaf before serving.