"Hoppin' John"
Below is an article on a dish known as Hoppin' John
"HOPPIN' JOHN"
Popular in the Southeastern region of the United States, Hoppin' John is a peas and rice dish that has been popular holiday dish for generations. In fact, this dish has traditionally been served in the U.S. South on New Year's Day. Many believe serving Hoppin' John on this particular holiday will bring prosperity and luck for the year.
The peas - whether they are cowpeas, black-eyed peas, Sea Island red peas, and iron and clay peas - are symbolizes pennies or coins. Diners will sometimes add an actual coin to the pot or leave under the dinner plates. Ingredients such as chopped onion, and sliced bacon seasoned with salt are usually cooked with the dish. Some recipes use ham hock, fatback, country sausage, or smoked turkey parts instead of bacon. A few recipes also include green peppers or vinegar and spices.
Cooks usually serve Collard greens, Mustard greens, Turnip greens, chard, kale, cabbage or similar leafy green vegetables with Hoppin' John to further add to the wealth, since they are the color of American currency. Cornbread is usually served with Hoppin' John to also symbolize wealth, since it possesses the color of gold.
Hoppin' John was first mentioned in Caroline Howard Gilman's 1837 book titled "Recollections of a Southern Matron". The author referred to the dish as "bacon and rice". Sarah Rutledge's 1847 cookbook, "The Carolina Housewife" included a recipe for Hoppin' John. And "The Oxford English Dictionary"'s first reference to the dish came from Frederick Law Olmsted's 19th century travelogue, "A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States", first published in 1861.
However, it is believed the Gullah people first created Hoppin' John in the low county areas of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia; as a one-pot dish during the Colonial era. On Sapelo Island, Georgia; Geechee red peas are used instead of black-eyed peas in the community of Hog Hammock. Residents of the Sea Islands off of coastal South Carolina, use something similar - Sea Island red peas. The Gullah's West African ancestors brought rice and bean dishes to the New World, as enslaved people. Among the West African dishes that Hoppin' John may have evolved from was the the Senegalese dish, Thiebou Niebe.
Below is a recipe for Hoppin' John from the Soul Food Pot website:
"Hoppin' John"
Ingredients (Hoppin' John):
*1 pound of dried black-eyed peas
*6 cups of chicken stock (use vegetable stock for vegans & vegetarians)
*1 cup of diced red onion
*2 cloves of minced garlic
*1 bay leaf
*1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
*¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
*½ a teaspoon of dried thyme
*2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon (vegans & vegetarians use a Creole seasoning)
*1 ½ teaspoon of salt
*1 teaspoon of black pepper
*1 cup of collard greens, finely chopped, fresh, or pre-cooked
*¼ cup of green onion, chopped to garnish (optional)
Ingredients (Rice):
*2 cups of white rice
*2 cups of chicken broth
*1 teaspoon of salt
*¼ teaspoon of black pepper
Preparations (Hoppin' John):
1. Open the Instant Pot lid and pour the chicken stock into the stainless-steel inner pot.
2. Add the black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, bay leaf, paprika, red pepper flakes, thyme, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, and collards.
3. Stir the ingredients to combine.
4. Make sure the beans are soaking and covered in the liquid broth.
5. Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up - in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes.
6. When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 10 minutes.
7. To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
8. Remove the bay leaf, transfer the black-eyed peas to an air-tight container, and set them aside. Or if you’re extra (like me!) and have more than one Instant Pot, keep the black-eyed peas in the Instant Pot on the 'keep warm' setting.
9. The next step is to wash out the inner pot or use a second Instant Pot to make the rice.
Preparations (Rice):
1. Add the rice, chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.
2. Stir to mix the ingredients and make sure the rice is covered in the liquid.
3. Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is in the sealing position - up) and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
4. When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 2 minutes.
5. To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
6. Fluff the rice with a fork.
Preparations (Finish):
1. Use a large serving spoon to combine the set aside black-eyed peas with the cooked rice.
2. Mix well and then serve Black folks soul food Hoppin John right away.
3. Optionally, garnish with chopped green onion, serve, and enjoy!
