Hoppin’ John

     There is something special about living in the south.  I love the southern states and plan to spend the rest of my life living in at least one of them.  The hot weather, politeness of strangers, and simple food (think pintos, greens, & cornbread) are some of my favorite characteristics of the south.  Hoppin' John is a dish that is commonly served among southerners, particularly on New Year's Day.  The black-eyed peas represent coins that symbolize wealth in the upcoming New Year. 

     I was inspired to make this dish after ordering it with my meal at Cypress Inn Restaurant.  While Cypress Inn is one of our favorite places to eat (at least in Tuscaloosa), the Hoppin' John I was served wasn't hoppin' (ha!) with flavor.  The white rice was bland and the bacon tasted rubbery.  After studying many different recipes, I settled on adapting the Hoppin' John recipe from the Joy of Cooking (side note - my sweet husband gave me this cookbook for our 1 year dating anniversary). To make the dish healthier, I substituted brown rice for white rice and olive oil for pork fat.  Hoppin' John would be wonderful with kielbasa or smoked ham.  If you have any on hand, toss it in!  

 

Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking

 

 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (1 ¼ cups) dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, drained & rinsed
• 1 ½ cups chopped Vidalia onion
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cups water, divided
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ¼ cups brown rice
• 2 ½ teaspoons kosher
• ½ black pepper

 
Directions

1. Place the black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes in a large Dutch oven. Cover with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Add the remaining cup of water, the vegetable stock, olive oil, and brown rice. Remove the thyme sprigs. Return to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Before serving, remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Serves 4 to 5 as a main dish.

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