Hoppin' John Beans & Rice

Hoppin' John is a bean, rice, and pork dish popular in coastal South Carolina and Georgia. It probably originated with black slaves from the Caribbean brought in through Charleston around which there were large rice plantations. It is still very popular among the Gullah on the Carolina coastal islands where Hoppin' John is served on New Year's Day for good luck and according to one tradition, a coin is added to the pot and whoever gets the coin will get rich. There are many poetic explanations for how it got its name. One claims that it got its name in the early 1800s when it was peddled on Charleston streets by a one legged black man named John.

I've kept this recipe simple and authentic, but you can riff on it. I've been known to add red pepper, and thyme. The recipe below is pretty traditional, but to modernize it, hold the green peppers until you add the rice. In the original recipe the peppers kind of disintegrate. If you hold them til the end they add life.

Recipe

Makes. 10 bowls
Preparation time. 3 hours

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 smoked ham hocks
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, pressed or coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes
3 bay leaves
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 cup white rice
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

About the ham hocks. Many grocers sell smoked ham hocks. They add flavor and a rich tactile sensation from the skin and connective tissue and the marrow which dissolve while it cooks. Some of them have very little meat. Select two with meat. If you can't find hocks, you can substitute 1/2 pound smoked ham or bacon.

Do this
1) Get a large pot hot and add the oil. Add the ham hock, onion, green pepper, garlic, pepper flakes, and the bay leaf. If you can't find a ham hock, you can use bacon, just skip the vegetable oil and start by cooking the bacon in the bottom of the pot and pour off all the bacon grease except 2 tablespoons.

2) When the onions are limp, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the beans, bring back to a boil and dial it back to a simmer quickly. Do not boil for more than a minute or two. Simmer for at least an hour.

3) Remove the bay leaf and if you use ham hocks, cut off the meat, add it to the pot, and discard the bones and skin.

4) Add the rice and simmer with the cover on for 25 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve with salt and pepper at table. Hoppin John gets a lift from fresh ground pepper at the table.

This page was revised 2/9/2009

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