Untitled Document
Even this gal, born and raised north of the Mason-Dixon Line, knows that
Hoppin’ John rules when it comes to New Year’s Day traditions.
You can’t start a year off right without it. Thing is, you kind of hope you’ll get invited
somewhere for a bowl of black-eyed peas and rice, lovingly prepared by
somebody who knows how to cook it right, seasoned with plenty of salt,
spice, and pork product. After all, a bland bowl of peas and rice —
well, it ain’t nice.
I remember screwing up my first batch of
Hoppin’ John. It was New Year’s Day 1997, and I was by myself,
in Brooklyn, on break from cooking school. I had no idea what I was doing.
My cornbread turned out good. But the peas? Let’s just say they
tasted better washed down with Johnny Walker Red. Although deep in formal
culinary study, I couldn’t cook a pot of dried beans to save my life.
It would be a lesson I’d learn along the way. The lesson couldn’t wait for too long, though.
If I couldn’t make a proper pot of Hoppin’ John to ring in the
new year, how would I ever have good luck? Black-eyed peas, thought to have
arrived in this country as a result of the African slave trade, don’t
resemble coins nearly as much as lentils do. But they still carry the
symbolic weight of bringing good fortune to those who eat them on New
Year’s Day. The fun thing about bean cookery, I now understand,
is that you can play around, improvising and making shortcuts as you go. In
fact, I love making Hoppin’ John with frozen black-eyes, which work
just as well (or dare I say, even better) than their dried counterparts.
With frozen peas, you can have Hoppin’ John in one hour, which makes
it a manageable weeknight dish. In spite of its traditional roots, pork is
not critical to the success of a rockin’ Hoppin’ John.
Vegetarians can use soy sauce and liquid smoke, plus ante up the aromatics,
including chopped garlic, celery, carrot, and a habanero or chipotle chile.
The garnish department is another way to get creative; I love chopped fresh
parsley, chopped tomato, diced scallion, lemon wedges, and even a little
shredded cheddar.
Culinary questions? Contact Kim O’Donnel at kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
Traditional Hoppin’ John
For four servings, estimate the following: 5 strips bacon 1 medium onion, chopped 1/2 habanero or chipotle chile, diced 2 10-ounce packages of frozen black-eyed peas Enough water to barely cover the peas 10 ounces chicken stock 1 cup long-grain rice Garnishes (see above)
Fry bacon in a deep skillet or pot and cook until
crisp. Remove from pan and drain; set aside. Add a smidge of oil, followed
by the onion and chile pepper, stirring with a wooden spoon. You may need
an ounce or two of water, to help scrape up the bacon bits stuck to the
bottom of the pan. Cook aromatics until softened a bit, about 1 minute.
Add peas and let thaw in pan. Add approximately 1 cup water, but go
gradually. You may need more as the peas thaw. Bring up to a boil and let
simmer for at least 20 minutes. Peas should be tender. Add chicken stock (alternatives: water, vegetable
stock) and rice. Stir with spoon and let cook, until rice expands and is
tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with garnishes
of choice. Cornbread and collard greens are wonderful accompaniments, as is
a cold beer.
This article appears in Dec 20-26, 2007.
