Hoppin’ John
Rice and beans with crisp bacon, lightly fried onion, and tons of flavor
City/Region: United States of America
Time Period: 18th Century
After years of trying to get together, culinary historian Michael W. Twitty finally joined me in the kitchen. Michael is an incredibly accomplished scholar who has won multiple awards, including two James Beard awards for The Cooking Gene, and was the first Black American to be awarded the Jewish Book of the Year Award for Koshersoul. His focus is on “preparing, preserving and promoting African American foodways and its parent traditions in Africa and her Diaspora and its legacy in the food culture of the American South” (www.afroculinaria.com), one example of which being hoppin’ john.
The hoppin’ john that Michael taught me how to make is a flavor-packed rice and beans dish that is traditionally eaten at the new year to bring good luck. He says that “the practice is likely European, but the vehicle is African…and for a lot of Southern culture and history…there are these three strands of indigenous, African, and European that always come together no matter what you do.”
Whether or not you make this for the new year, definitely try it out. The meat, herbs, spices, and onion all come together without one flavor dominating the others. The result is a whole new flavor that is so delicious. Get Michael’s kitchen pepper and other spice blends at Spice Tribe.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups red field peas*
- 1 small dried hot red chili
- Fresh herbs, we used sage, rosemary, and thyme
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon kitchen pepper*
- Bacon, chopped into large pieces, we used kosher beef bacon, but use whatever kind you like
- 2 onions, plus 1 more
- Low sodium broth, chicken, ham, or vegetable
- 1 1/4 cups Carolina rice*
*See notes below.
Instructions:
- Pick through the field peas and discard any shriveled or broken peas and any debris. Put them in a large bowl and fill it with cold water. Stir several times and discard any peas that float to the top. Let the field peas soak for 30 minutes.
- Bring 6 cups of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the field peas, chili, and herbs (leave them whole) to the water. Cover and boil for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to a low boil for 25 minutes. The peas should be softer, but still firm and not mushy.
- Break out a cast iron pot if you have one and fry the bacon until its brown and crisp. Add a small pinch of salt, a small pinch of red chili flakes, and a small pinch of kitchen pepper. When crisp, take the bacon out and put it on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Chop 2 of the onions and add them to the pan with the grease from the bacon. Cook until fragrant and translucent, then take them out and set them aside.
- After the field peas have cooked, take out the dried chili. Strain the liquid out of the field peas and save it for cooking the rice. Put the field peas into the same pot that you cooked the bacon and onions in. Fish out the stems from the herbs. Add a little more kitchen pepper. Stir until the peas are coated in the fat. Cut the remaining onion in half and add it to the pot, along with the low sodium broth, enough to cover the peas. Add 1/4 cup of the crisped bacon and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Be careful to not let them burn or get too low on liquid. The peas should be tender but not overly mushy or cracked. If you end up with more liquid at the end, it’ll taste just fine but the dish will be less attractive.
- Rinse the rice well. Put it in a pot (you can use the same one you cooked the field peas in), and add the reserved liquid from the field peas. Add enough water so that the water comes up one knuckle above the level of the rice. Add some of the sauteed onion if you want. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until dry.
- When everything is ready, mix together the warm rice and peas, remaining crisped bacon, and the lightly fried onion. Stir well, and serve it forth for good luck in the new year.
Notes
- We were lucky enough to use Michael’s homegrown field peas, but he recommends Camellia brand for store bought peas.
- Kitchen pepper is an 18th century spice blend that comes from medieval quatres epices, but evolved to include ingredients from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It was used in place of black pepper to add variety and extra flavor to dishes.
- Link to crowder peas (as of posting, Camellia field peas were sold out): https://www.amazon.com/Camellia-Brand-Crowder-Peas-Pound/dp/B08DW5FS57/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa
- We used Michael’s own kitchen pepper blend, available from Spice Tribe here: https://spicetribe.com/collections/chef-collaborations/products/hercules-and-hemmings-kitchen-pepper
- Link to the Carolina rice we used: https://www.amazon.com/Andys-Charleston-Gluten-Aromatic-Harvested/dp/B0BJ7WR73V/ref=sr_1_1_sspa
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