A ‘Fresh’ Take on Hoppin’ John...
Most of us are familiar with the dish “Hoppin’ John”. A traditional Southern dish which centers around Black-Eyed Peas and Pork Belly, Jowl or Ham Hock.
It has, over the years become a good luck tradition to have Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day for good luck throughout the year.
We’re not sure where or how the tradition got started but there’s absolutely NO downside so why not?
For 2019, Scotts Valley Market has a ‘fresh’ take on Hoppin’ John, which is traditionally made with dried Black-Eyed Peas (which have to be soaked for a number of hours).
This year, we have Melissa’s FRESH Black-Eyed Peas! No soaking needed and the flavor and texture are vastly superior!
‘Fresh’ Hoppin’ John
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
1 whole Bell Pepper (red, green or yellow), Diced
2 stalks Celery, Diced
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 or 2 Containers of Melissa’s FRESH Black-Eyed Peas
4-5 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Whole Ham Hock (Pork Belly, Ham or Bacon can be substituted)
Salt, Pepper, Cayenne, to taste
Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)
Cooked White Or Brown Rice, For Serving
Melt the butter in a large Dutch Oven and sauté the Trinity (Onion, Bell Pepper and Celery) until soft. Add Garlic.
In this recipe, we're adding the Black-Eyed Peas last. The reason for that is that fresh Black-Eyed Peas take only TEN minutes to cook!
After sautéing the veggies, add the Chicken stock and the Ham Hock (or substitutes). Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Add cover and let stew of 30 minutes. Remove Ham Hock and pull meat from the bone and add back to pot. Some people like to add a shot of Cider Vinegar to give the dish a little punch. If so, add 2 TBS now.
Remove cover and let simmer for another 15 minutes.
When the stew looks well blended and smells fragrant, add the fresh Black-Eyed Peas. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the Peas are soft.
Serve over cooked White or Brown Rice!
