fried black eyed peas

adapted from a recipe I found in the paper, and inspired by the fried black eyed peas at Relish, in Roswell

16 oz dried black eyed peas (although, if you're Sherm, use chick peas)
1 carrot, peeled and cut in half lengthways
1 celery, cut in half lengthways
1/2 onion, peeled
1 bay leaf
1-2 t Old Bay seasoning (could use any spicy seasoning blend, such as creole)
canola oil, at least a few quarts
salt
other seasonings to taste

Rinse and drain the peas, pick through for stones or other debris.  Put in big pot and cover with cold water.  Let soak overnight.

In the morning, add the celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf and seasoning to the beans and water, and simmer until peas are almost done (done but still a little firm), usually around 40 minutes.  Drain and chill.

When ready to fry, heat the oil in a deep fryer or heavy, deep pot to 350 degrees.  Fry peas in batches, using a slotted spoon to transfer them to hot oil.  Be careful not to put too many in, because of the high moisture content, the oil will bubble up significantly when you add the peas.  The oil will drop in temp with each batch, so let it heat back up before doing the next batch.

Fry each batch around 2 minutes, until peas are starting to brown a bit.  Remove with a slotted spoon onto a strainer or paper towels to cool.  Sprinkle with salt and other seasonings of your choice.  Creole seasoning is good, as is lemon pepper.