Hoppin' John

It’s considered de rigeur to eat this for good luck in the South on New Year’s Day, with cornbread and winter greens as accompaniment, but it’s just as good any day of the winter when you want something to warm you up.

 

 

Hoppin John Recipe

Prep Time

90 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Yield

6 Servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1⁄2 pound bacon
1 onion
  salt
1 cup black-eyed peas
1⁄2 cup bell pepper, red
1 cup rice, white long grain
  black pepper

Instructions

Cube the bacon. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and lightly brown bacon, about 5 minutes. Dice onion, add to the bacon in the pot and cook another 5 minutes. Rinse black-eyed peas and add to the pot along with water and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, covered, at a simmer until black-eyed peas are tender but not mushy (about 1 hour) and about 2 cups of liquid remain. Add chopped bell pepper, long-grain white rice, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes, at lowest temperature. Remove lid and check for seasonings. Serve warm with skillet cornbread and braised greens.