Hoppin’ John
Ingredients
- 6 ounces bacon – cut into 0.5-inch pieces
- 1 cups onion – finely chopped (~1 medium onion)
- 1 cups dried black-eyed peas – rinsed and picked over
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 6 cups water
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cups long-grain white rice – rinsed
- 1/2 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
- scallions – thinly sliced (for serving)
- pepper vinegar – for serving
Instructions
1. Heat a heavy pot (with a tight-fitting lid) over medium heat; add bacon and cook, stirring, until the fat renders and the pieces just begin to crisp, 6–8 minutes.
2. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and lightly golden, 5–7 minutes.
3. Stir in dried black-eyed peas, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, and water; bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the peas are tender but not falling apart, 45–60 minutes.
4. Measure out 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the pot and ensure that amount remains in the pot with the peas (reserve or discard any excess); if needed, briefly raise the heat uncovered to reduce to that volume.
5. Stir in kosher salt.
6. Sprinkle in long-grain white rice, stir once to distribute, cover tightly, and cook over low heat until the grains are tender and the liquid is absorbed, 15 minutes; remove from the heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes.
7. Fluff with a fork, add black pepper, and discard the leaf.
8. Serve hot, topped with scallions and with pepper vinegar on the table.
Hoppin’ John is a Lowcountry rice-and-pea pilau rooted in the Gullah Geechee culinary tradition of the coastal Carolinas and Georgia. It pairs black-eyed peas (or local field peas) with long-grain rice and a touch of pork for smoke and richness. Eaten across the South, it is especially beloved on New Year’s Day, when a bowl is said to bring good luck and prosperity for the year ahead.
Historically, the dish reflects West African rice cookery carried by enslaved Africans to the Americas, adapted to local ingredients like Carolina Gold rice and cowpeas. The preparation is simple yet precise: cook the peas with pork, then finish the rice in the seasoned pot liquor so every grain absorbs flavor. It is traditionally served with pepper vinegar and often accompanied by greens and cornbread.