Name: Blackeyed Pea Cakes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound black-eyed peas; 1/2 cup dried shrimp; 1 medium onion, finely diced; 1 egg, beaten; 1/2 cup cornmeal; 2 teaspoons coarse salt, optional; 1/4 cup flour; 1/4 cup vegetable oil for pan frying; Tomatillo-Scallion Mayonnaise, recipe follows, for serving; 2 egg yolks*; 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar; 1/2 lemon, juiced; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Dash of Tabasco; Dash of Worcestershire sauce; 1 cup vegetable oil; 2 bunches scallions, white and part of green, sliced; 1 cup sour cream; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, washed and chopped

Directions

Cover the black-eyed peas with cold water and soak overnight. Drain the peas. Soak the shrimp in cold water for 30 minutes, and then drain off excess water. Place the peas, shrimp and onion in a blender, along with the beaten egg and 1/4 cup of the cornmeal, and puree until smooth. Add salt if necessary (the dried shrimp may already be salty).
Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of cornmeal and the flour in a bowl. Form the pea mixture into small patties and dredge them in the cornmeal mixture.
Pour the oil into a frying pan and heat over moderate heat. Test by dropping in a little of the pea mixture. If it bubbles immediately and rises to the surface, the oil is ready.
Drop 4 to 6 patties into the hot oil and pan-fry until golden, shaking the pan constantly, turning the patties once, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a strainer or slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. Continue to pan-fry patties in batches. Serve with Tomatillo-Scallion Mayonnaise.

Tomatillo-Scallion Mayonnaise:

In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire. Blend with a whisk. Gradually add oil, a drop at a time, whisking constantly. As mixture begins to thicken and looks like mayonnaise, you can add oil more generously. Adjust seasonings and store in refrigerator as long as 4 days.
In a blender, combine scallions, sour cream, and lemon juice. Pulse a few times to combine, then puree until smooth. Add salt, pepper, tomatillos and 1/2 cup of the Mayonnaise. Blend just to combine.