Hoppin’ John

January 1, 2020

.

Mummy always fixes this dish on the first day of the New Year because in the South, it is believed that eating black-eyed peas on January 1st will bring you GOOD LUCK!  So far, it seems to be working so why mess with a good thing?!?!?!?!  If you have never tried this dish, this is a TRUE SOUTHERN COMFORT FOOD, and Southerners will actually eat this dish all year long.  When we can’t get fresh black-eyed peas, we can use the frozen kind instead… but never the canned ones, because those are just gross!  I hope that you will give this recipe a try… I think that you will really enjoy it.  It is NOT DOGGIE FRIENDLY due to the onions that are in it, so please don’t let them sample any!!!

.

Hoppin’ John

.

6 slices thick cut bacon… fried crisp… crumble it up and set aside (reserve the bacon grease)

1 1/2 cups celery, chopped small

1 1/2 cups sweet onion, chopped small

1 large green bell pepper, chopped small

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt…divided

8 cups chicken broth

4 cups fresh black-eyed peas (or frozen if fresh is not available)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice

green onions, sliced thin for garnishing

.

In a large dutch oven, pour in the reserved bacon grease you have from frying your bacon and add the chopped celery, onion and bell pepper.  Cook until the onion is lightly browned and tender.  Add the minced garlic, thyme, pepper, cayenne pepper and ONE TEASPOON of the sea salt.  Stir until well combined and cook for a few minutes.  Add the crumbled up bacon and stir.  Add the chicken broth and black-eyed peas and bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat.  Lower heat to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.  Drain off 3 cups of the liquid to use for cooking your rice.

.

To make the rice:

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the rice and flatten it out across the bottom of the pan… stirring it occasionally.  Cook it until it is lightly toasted.  You want it to be a uniform light to medium brown color.  Remove from heat.  In a large saucepan, add the 3 cups of liquid that you removed from your black-eyed pea mixture and the REMAINING 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring this to a boil.  Add your toasted rice.  Bring the mixture up to a boil, then reduce it to LOW and cover.  Simmer this until all the liquid is gone and the rice is cooked and tender.  Add the cooked rice to the black-eyed pea mixture…mix everything together.

.

This can be served immediately but is better if you let it sit for a day in the refrigerator, to soak up all of the juices.

Heat it back up on the stove or in the microwave. Serve it up in a bowl and sprinkle a few thinly sliced green onions on the top.

OH MY GOODNESS this is soooooo delicious.  Let me know if you try it… I love to hear how you enjoy our recipes.

.

BONE APPETIT!