Traditional Southern Hoppin' John
A classic Southern comfort dish featuring tender black-eyed peas, a smoky ham hock, and fluffy rice. Traditionally enjoyed on New Year's Day to bring good luck and prosperity for the year ahead.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
- Medium saucepan with lid
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon
- Colander
Ingredients
Black-Eyed Peas
- 1 pound Dried black-eyed peas — Rinsed, picked over, and soaked overnight (see tips)
- 4 slices Thick-cut bacon — Chopped
- 1 large Smoked ham hock — Can substitute with a meaty ham bone or smoked turkey leg
- 1 large Yellow onion — Finely diced
- 1 medium Green bell pepper — Finely diced
- 2 medium Celery stalks — Finely diced
- 4 cloves Garlic — Minced
- 4 cups Chicken broth — Low sodium
- 2 cups Water — More as needed
- 2 whole Bay leaves
- 0.5 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 0.25 teaspoon Cayenne pepper — Adjust to taste
- 0.5 teaspoon Black pepper — Freshly cracked
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt — To taste (add at the end)
Rice
- 1.5 cups Long-grain white rice — Rinsed well
- 3 cups Water
- 0.5 teaspoon Salt
Garnish
- 0.25 cup Green onions (optional) — Thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Hot sauce (optional) — For serving
Black-Eyed Peas
| 1 pound | Dried black-eyed peas | Rinsed, picked over, and soaked overnight (see tips) |
| 4 slices | Thick-cut bacon | Chopped |
| 1 large | Smoked ham hock | Can substitute with a meaty ham bone or smoked turkey leg |
| 1 large | Yellow onion | Finely diced |
| 1 medium | Green bell pepper | Finely diced |
| 2 medium | Celery stalks | Finely diced |
| 4 cloves | Garlic | Minced |
| 4 cups | Chicken broth | Low sodium |
| 2 cups | Water | More as needed |
| 2 whole | Bay leaves | |
| 0.5 teaspoon | Dried thyme | |
| 0.25 teaspoon | Cayenne pepper | Adjust to taste |
| 0.5 teaspoon | Black pepper | Freshly cracked |
| 1 teaspoon | Kosher salt | To taste (add at the end) |
Rice
| 1.5 cups | Long-grain white rice | Rinsed well |
| 3 cups | Water | |
| 0.5 teaspoon | Salt |
Garnish
| 0.25 cup | Green onions (opt.) | Thinly sliced |
| 1 tablespoon | Hot sauce (opt.) | For serving |
Instructions
-
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until the fat renders and the bacon is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon pieces and set them aside, leaving the bacon grease in the pot.
~8 minIf your bacon is very lean and doesn't yield at least 2 tablespoons of fat, add a little olive oil or butter. -
Add the diced onion, green bell pepper, and celery (the 'Holy Trinity') to the bacon fat. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and the onions are translucent.
~7 minScrape the bottom of the pot while stirring to release the browned bacon bits (fond). -
Stir in the minced garlic, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
~1 min -
Add the drained and rinsed black-eyed peas, ham hock, chicken broth, water, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
~10 min -
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook until the peas are tender but not mushy.
~60 minCooking time will vary based on how long the peas were soaked and their age. Start checking for doneness at the 45-minute mark. -
While the peas are simmering, prepare the rice. In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let it rest covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
~20 min -
Once the peas are tender, remove the pot from the heat. Take out the ham hock and bay leaves. Carefully pull the meat off the ham hock, chop it, and return it to the pot along with the reserved crispy bacon.
~5 min -
Taste the broth and beans, and season with kosher salt as needed. (Wait until the end to salt, as the ham hock, bacon, and broth are already salty).
~2 min -
To serve, spoon the cooked black-eyed peas and their rich broth over a generous scoop of the hot cooked rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with hot sauce.
~2 minFor the perfect traditional texture, aim for a 1:1 ratio of beans to rice in your bowl.
Tips & Storage
- Soaking the Peas: Soak dried peas overnight in plenty of cold water to reduce cooking time and ensure even tenderness. If you're short on time, do a quick soak: cover peas with 2 inches of water, boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour before draining.
- The Perfect Bean-to-Rice Ratio: A true Hoppin' John relies on balance. Serve it with a 1-to-1 ratio of beans to rice. Traditionally, some cooks stir the cooked rice directly into the pot of beans to let the grains absorb the smoky 'pot likker' (broth), while others prefer to spoon the beans over the rice to maintain distinct textures.
- Do not salt the beans until the very end. The smoked pork and chicken broth contain a lot of sodium, and salting early can make the bean skins tough.
- Serve alongside collard greens (representing money) and cornbread (representing gold) for the ultimate New Year's luck.
- Storage: Store leftover peas and rice in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors of the peas will deepen and taste even better the next day. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.