Happy new year! Growing up, my dad would always make Hoppin’ John on new year’s eve for our family celebration. Seeing my dad cooking in the kitchen was an extreme rarity, as I imagine it was for most of you (thankfully that is changing with time), and something to take note. While times and social norms have changed, the conversation is still the same. As I told my girls I’d be making Hoppin’ John, their reply was: Hoppin’ John...what is THAT?! I’m imagining what might be running through their heads as kids have vividly wild imaginations. When I was a kid, I immediately thought it must somehow involve frogs...what else hops? I guess bunnies hop, but that didn’t enter my head until just now.
Hearing it involved black-eyed peas got the mind racing again. What the hell are “black-eyed” peas? What did they do to get a black eye...wait, peas have eyes?! It then got even weirder because black-eyed PEAS are technically beans. Was anything I knew even real anymore? Who’s John? I mean, my dad’s name is John, but he’s not gonna hop into a pot. Does the Hoppin’ John make you want to hop? Then he informed me that it’s a southern dish that helps bring good luck. But, you always say “we’d have no luck at all if it weren’t for bad luck”...and you’re from New York...what could you possibly know about southern food?
Well, after losing my dad a month ago, I thought it’d be a nice tribute to those moments, and his attempt at making this dish and forcing us to try it, and to hopefully usher in some good luck with this new year. What better, somewhat synergetic, way than to use a recipe from a southerner who had a restaurant in NY (Seersucker turned Wilma Jean which closed in 2018) which was most-well-known for his delicious fried chicken. Good luck y’all, we’re gonna need it!
Hoppin’ John Adapted from Bon Appetit, Rob Newton
While the recipe calls for Carolina Gold Rice, it’s extremely hard to find. I substituted Tamaki Gold which I found at my local grocer. You can use any long grain rice if you can’t find either. Also, if you’ve been following, you know I’m a huge fan of soaking your own dried beans. You really want to do it in a dish like this because it’s a stew, not a mush. You want these beans as toothsome and flavorful as possible, as they’re the “belle of the ball”. Head to your deli counter to see if they have country ham and ask for a thick, one-inch slice . Do not salt the bean cooking water in the beginning, this can lead to split beans.
1 lb dry black-eyed peas
2 medium carrots - peeled, and tops removed, but left whole
4 oz. country ham, diced (or thick-sliced, pre-cooked ham steak)
Yellow onion, diced
4 sprigs of thyme
2 celery ribs, diced
Bay leaf
2 cups gold rice (see note above)
1 tbsp butter, melted
Cheddar cheese, grated
Scallions, sliced
Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with 3 quarts water. Stir in 3 tbsp kosher salt and let soak overnight (at least 8 hours). After soaking, drain and rinse once over and drain again.
When ready to cook, place the carrots into a large pot along with the drained beans, ham, onion, thyme, bay leaf, and celery. Pour in 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cover the pot and cook for an hour or so, stirring occasionally.
While the beans and vegetables cook, rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Then place the drained rice in a pot and cover with 2.25 cups of hot water and soak the rice for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes of soaking, add in the melted butter and a teaspoon of salt. Stir to incorporate and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, still covered, for an additional 10 minutes.
While the rice rests for 10 minutes, uncover the pot of beans and stir in 2 tsp of salt and ¼ tsp black pepper and remove the thyme sprigs. If the cooking water level is high (looks soupy), continue to cook uncovered. If just about right (starting to thicken; stew-ish) continue cooking the beans with the cover on.
When the rice is ready, fluff with a fork and place into bowls. Check the Hoppin’ John for any final seasoning needs and spoon it over the rice with a small amount of cooking liquid from the bean pot. This is a rice and beans dish, at heart, so don’t make it too liquidlike. Top with cheese and sliced scallions.
______________________________ Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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