Hey, that's me cooking for our company Thanksgiving Feast!

If you happen to have picky eaters who just love to say what they will not eat before they taste a dish (Oh, can I tell  you how this is my pet peeve!…that just did not happen in my home growing up, but I digress) this recipe will turn those non-peas eaters to scoop these up by the spoon full.  The roots of this recipe goes back to a much simpler time.

As I decided to share this recipe with you, I really started thinking, I know of no other family that prepares a dish like this and if you happen to have a similar family recipe, I would love to know.  Around 1950, when my mother was a little girl, every winter my grandfather would load up the family and head back to the swamp for 3 months to trap muskrat, nutria, raccoon and basically whatever else swam around that he could skin to earn money.

Everyone was expected to help skin the animals when Pop returned back to the camp.  My grandmother would always prepare a hearty lunch as this was hard work and the camp had absolutely no plumbing or heating.  Eating a filling and well rounded meal was essential to survival.  The original version of this recipe (which I still make) is served as a main course over hot rice.  It starts with a homemade roux and includes everything in this recipe minus the sugar, plus hard boiled eggs.  I’m going to share with you my adapted version which is a little sweeter and meant to be a side dish.

Petite Pois in a Roux

Here are your ingredients you will need to create my family favorite:

I present another simple board of ingredients

1 lb. fresh sausage, any variety

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 (15 oz.) cans petite pois (very young peas), my favorite brand is Dubon

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup Tony Chachere’s Instant Roux Mix

Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning to taste

In a skillet, brown sausage on both sides.  Remove from pan and drain. Chop sausage in chunky slices (it will not be cooked through).  In a large saucepan, heat oil. Brown onions.  Add remaining ingredients including sausage.  Slowly bring up to a slow simmer.  Keep heat at this level and cook until potatoes are tender and sausage has finished cooking through (approximately, 30 minutes).  *Please note, keep stirring to a minimum as to not break up peas or potatoes.

Here is a shot of the finished dish!

Savory and sweet, these peas are aimed to please!

Being this is a holiday week, I would like to wish everyone a very blessed Thanksgiving.  I personally feel so fortunate to have this blog to share with you stories of my life growing up in Louisiana, specifically Bayou Lafourche.  My blog has brought back memories of my childhood and enlightened me to stories just as this one to my unique and special family.  I love all them so much and miss my grandparents (Reed and Mirza Plaisance) terribly.  So, if you make this recipe for your family, share with them the story of this humble meal.

Come back and visit again, because my husband and I are hosting Thanksgiving at our camp.  I have a fresh turkey on order from a local meat market in town.  My mom and I are going to open the back up and brine the beast.  Thanksgiving morning my hubby will start a fire.  Mr. Turkey will get injected and go into a Cajun Microwave to cook up.  Now, you know there is a blog coming of this event with photo evidence!  Have I told you lately I LOVE my life!  Talk to you next week!

Cindy Adams-Ardoin

Food Scientist

Tony Chachere’s