Hoppin’ John
On New Year’s Day this is a tradition in the south as your staple for the day. Enjoy this with your cooked collards and cornbread. If you are vegetarian, this is very easy to revise.
Ingredients:
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
5 to 6 cups water (vegetable Broth if you are not adding ham hock or bone)
1 Tbsp. olive oil (maybe more)
1 dried hot pepper (optional)
1 bell pepper chopped (optional)
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 smoked ham hock (you can substitute some bacon for this OR for vegetarians, delete and use 4 cups vegetable broth instead of water)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup long-grain white rice
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Wash and sort the peas and leave them for at least eight hours soaking in water.
Heat oil in a pan and saute onion for 2 minutes.
Add garlic, hot pepper, and bell pepper and continue to cook.
Place the peas in pan and add the 5-6 cups water.
Discard any peas that float.
Gently boil the peas with the peppers, ham hock, and onion, uncovered, until tender but not mushy — about 1 1/2 hours — or until 2 cups of liquid remain.
Add the rice to the pot, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, never lifting the lid.
Remove from the heat and allow to steam, still covered, for another 10 minutes.
Remove the cover, salt and pepper to taste, fluff with a fork, and serve immediately.
If you like, adding some butter to this dish after cooking is a nice addition.
Serve with hot sauce, fresh cornbread, and a pot of collards.
