Hoppin? John

Print Recipe Posted by Ree in All PW Recipes, Holidays, Soups

I?m not a big believer in superstition, but for some reason I?ve always eaten black-eyed peas on New Year?s Day. Whether it?s Zannie?s Black-Eyed Pea Dip (oh my gosh, please try it now) or cool, crisp Black-Eyed Pea Salsa?or today?s dish: a yummy, hearty southern New Year?s Day tradition, I figure starting the new year by indulging in a juicy superstition can?t hurt.

Hoppin? John is a basic, simple black-eyed pea stew. I kept it extremely pared down, and when I made it yesterday I had a hard time not adding bright red bell pepper, big pieces of torn kale, and canned diced tomatoes. All of these are acceptable, of course, but I wanted to keep it basic and unadorned. There?s beauty in simplicity sometimes.

Also, I was lazy.

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Begin by throwing a bunch of onion, celery, and green bell pepper in a pot of sizzling butter.

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Stir it around and add quite a bit of minced garlic. Then cook the veggies for 3 to 4 minutes, breathing in the magical aroma.

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And now for the black-eyed peas: These are fresh (they came from the big city) and lots of supermarkets will sell these at this time of year. However, if you use dried black-eyed peas, just soak them in cool water for about 6 hours or so before using them. They?ll be delicious!

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Pour the peas right into the pot?

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And stir them around to combine.

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Then pour in low (or no) sodium chicken broth.

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Next, add in a big, gnarly ham hock?

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A little salt (you can always add more later)?

(Oh, and nice hand, Ree!)

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And a lot of black pepper.

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Then bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and cover the pot. Simmer it for a good 30 minutes, or until the beans soften and the liquid reduces quite a bit.

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At the end, I decided to add in plenty of cayenne pepper for some spice?then I stirred in some white vinegar, which is something my BFF Hyacinth always does with her Hoppin? John.

I like to do what Hy does. Except control what I eat.

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Then you just spoon the whole thing over white or brown rice, making sure to get lots of the soupy liquid in there so the whole thing becomes a delicious mess while you eat it. Another thing you can do is stir the rice into the pot and mix it all together before serving. I might have done that, but my rice turned out a little sticky (something about the fact that I forgot I was cooking it until I smelled something funny) and I decided not to push it.

This is a yummy New Year?s Day tradition, folks. And again, this is the really basic recipe?so here are some variations:

* Add diced red bell pepper to the onion/pepper mixture at the beginning of the recipe.
* Use 2 cups of diced ham to the pot instead of ham hocks.
* Use 4 slices of bacon cut into bits instead of ham hocks; just cook it along with the onion/pepper mixture.
* Add 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes to the cooking liquid with the broth.
* Stir in 1 bunch of washed, torn kale to the pot when it has about 5 to 10 minutes left of cooking time.
* Stir in a couple of sliced green onions at the end.

Have some fun with it and make it your own!

And Happy New Year, my friends. Stay safe, happy, and healthy.

Love,
PW

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Prep Time: 6 Hours �|� Cook Time: 1 Hour �|� Difficulty: Easy �|� Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 2 stalks Celery, Diced
• 4 cups Soaked Black-eyed Peas
• 5 cups Low-sodium (or No-sodium) Chicken Broth
• 1 whole Ham Hock
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
• White Or Brown Rice, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

(Soak black-eyed peas in cool water for at least 6 hours. Rinse before using.)

Heat butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery and stir. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in soaked beans, then add chicken broth, ham hock, salt & pepper, and cayenne to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover the pot for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, check the liquid level; if it's too soupy, cook with the lid off for another 15 minutes or so. If it's too thick, splash in a little more broth.

Stir in vinegar, then taste for seasonings. Add more spice if needed.

Serve over white or brown rice, making sure to get plenty of the cooking liquid spooned over the top. Or, you may mix the bean mixture with the rice before serving.

Variations: add red bell pepper, canned diced tomatoes, diced jalapenos, diced ham (instead of ham hocks), or sliced bacon (instead of ham hocks). Stir in torn-up kale when 5 minutes of cooking time remain.

Variation: use canned, drained black-eyed peas if preferred. Just use diced ham instead of ham hock and a little less broth, as peas won't need to cook as long.

Posted by Ree on December 30 2011

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pwcooks/~3/WiveFX_Ver0/

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