Hoppin' John (Black-Eyed Peas and Rice)
This right here is what good luck tastes like — black-eyed peas and rice cooked down with smoky meat until everything's tender and flavorful. Folks eat it on New Year's Day for prosperity, but honestly, it's so good you'll want it all year round. It's simple, filling, and the kind of one-pot meal that just makes you feel right at home.
Cooking tutorial
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
- 6 cups water (for cooking)
- 1 pound smoked ham hocks or smoked turkey wings
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for a little kick)
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 3 cups chicken broth or water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 green onions, sliced (for serving)
Instructions
- 1
The night before, put your black-eyed peas in a big bowl, cover them with water by about 3 inches, and let them soak overnight on the counter. Next day, drain and rinse them good.
- 2
In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, combine the soaked peas, 6 cups water, ham hocks or turkey wings, chopped onion, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and cayenne if you're using it. Bring it all to a boil over high heat.
- 3
Once it's boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the peas are tender and creamy.
- 4
While the peas are cooking, make your rice. In a separate pot with a tight lid, bring the 3 cups of broth or water and butter to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover tight, turn heat to low, and cook for 18 to 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- 5
When the peas are done, fish out the ham hocks or turkey wings, pull off any meat, chop it up, and stir it back into the peas. Throw away the bones and bay leaves. Taste and add more salt and pepper if it needs it.
- 6
You can either fold the cooked rice right into the pot with the peas and stir it all together, or serve the peas spooned over the rice on each plate — both ways are traditional and both are delicious.
- 7
Top each serving with sliced green onions and watch folks come back for seconds.
Pro Tips
- ★If you're short on time, you can use two 15-ounce cans of black-eyed peas (drained and rinsed) instead of dried — just add them in the last 30 minutes of cooking so they don't get mushy.
- ★Some folks like to add a splash of hot sauce or a ham bone for even more flavor — use what you've got and make it your own.