Hoppin’ John

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1/3 lb bacon (plus 2 tbsp oil for hock) or 1 ham hock (plus 2 tbsp oil for hock)
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 small green pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 lb dried black-eyed peas, about 2 cups
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
• salt
• 2 cups long-grain rice
• scallions or green onion, garnish

Recipe

• 1 if you are using bacon, cut it into small pieces and cook it slowly in a medium pot over medium-low heat.
• 2 if you are using a ham hock, heat the oil in the pot.
• 3 once the bacon is crispy (or the oil is hot), increase the heat to medium-high and add the celery, onion, and green pepper and sauté until they begin to brown, about 4-5 minutes.
• 4 add the garlic, stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• 5 add the black-eyed peas, bay leaf, thyme and cajun seasoning and cover with 4 cups of water.
• 6 if you are using the ham hock, add it to the pot and bring to a simmer.
• 7 cook for 30 minutes to an hour, or longer if needed, until the peas are tender (not mushy).
• 8 while the black-eyed peas are cooking, cook the rice separately according to package instructions.
• 9 when the peas are tender, strain out the remaining cooking water.
• 10 remove and discard the bay leaf.
• 11 taste the peas for salt and add more if needed.
• 12 if using a ham hock, remove it from the pot, pull off the meat, and return the meat to the pot.
• 13 serve the dish either by placing a ladle-full of black-eyed peas over steamed rice, or by mixing the two together in a large bowl.
• 14 garnish with chopped green onions.
• 15 serve with collard greens, kale, beet or turnip greens.