Hoppin’ John

WANNA KNOW WHY THIS AGE-OLD DISH OF BLACK eyed peas and rice is eaten all over the South on New Year’s Day to bring good luck? Because the peas look like little coins that swell when cooked, that’s why. Stories abound about the obscure origins of the name hoppin’ John, one being that, in antebellum days, a certain lame black cook named John hopped about a plantation kitchen on one leg while preparing the dish. Of course, the debate rages from region to region over the correct approaches to hoppin’ John. Must the peas be served with rice? Should they actually be cooked with rice? Are tomatoes a key ingredient, and if so, should they be stewed and spooned over the peas and rice or simply chopped raw over the top? Should the peas be cooked till they’re almost mushy or just al dente? Herbs added? Everything cooked in a saucepan or cast-iron skillet? Here’s the way I do hoppin’ John, which is wonderful with baked spareribs or braised country ham or chitlins—or anything else you can think of.

MAKES: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 1⁄4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1⁄4-inch cubes
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 pounds black-eyed peas (fresh or frozen)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• 3 cups water
• Hot cooked rice
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped or stewed

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan, fry the bacon over moderate heat until it is almost crisp.
2. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease.
3. Add the finely chopped onion, celery, and minced garlic to the saucepan.
4. Cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes.
5. Add the black-eyed peas, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and water to the saucepan.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
7. Cover the saucepan and simmer the peas until they are tender but not mushy. This usually takes about 1 hour.
8. Drain the cooked black-eyed peas.
9. Serve the peas in small bowls over mounds of hot cooked rice.
10. Top each serving with a few spoonfuls of chopped or stewed tomatoes.