I had this dish at a friend’s house in Upstate New York this past Christmas, and found out it was a southern dish. Ironically, since we rarely go out to meals here in Georgia, I had never heard of Hoppin’ John until I went back to Rochester. I’ve been trying to replicate it ever since and have made our own version of this dish.
It is basically a beans and rice dish, with diced ham, peppers, celery and onions. It is served over rice and topped with either scallions or grated cheese. It is a big hit with my husband and the baby so I made it once a week for the past month.
Hoppin’ John (serves 4)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup diced ham
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can of black eyed peas, undrained
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning (if you prefer it to be spicy)
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups uncooked rice
Toppings:
- grated cheddar and/or chopped scallions
Directions:
- Cook the 2 cups rice according to instructions on package, to be served with beans later on.
- In a large skillet on medium high heat, sauté diced ham for 4-5 minutes. Add celery, green pepper, onion and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add black eyed peas (and liquid from can), 2 cups of water, thyme, bay leaf and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- To serve, scoop beans over rice and top with cheddar or scallions.
I had to share this. Baby made her first dish, she calls it ‘peanut butter cup’…..get it?
