By Eva Deloach
This recipe yields 10 servings.
4 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 lb dried black-eyed peas
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth – more as needed
1 whole ham hock or smoked turkey breast
Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
2 tbsp white vinegar
White or brown rice
For vegetarians, don’t add ham and use vegetable broth instead. Add some chopped mushrooms and maybe some Cajun spices.
First thing, soak your dried black-eyed peas in cool water for at least 6 hours or overnight, and rinse before using.
In this Hoppin’ John recipe, the black-eyed peas are stewed after soaking. Heat the butter or oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until caramelized, then add the celery and bell peppers and stir for approximately 4 minutes.
Add in the soaked beans, then add the ham hock (or other meat) as well as salt, pepper, and cayenne, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the 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 the vinegar, then taste for seasonings. Add more spice if needed.
To complete this meal, serve with collards or braising greens, cornbread with honey and butter, or over white or brown rice. Make sure to get plenty of the cooking liquid spooned over the top of your rice.
For fun check out this Jewish connection to black eyed peas here – https://www.tasteofjew.com/jewish-hoppin-john-connection/
