Augusta Hopping John

"Southern cooking at its finest! Get ready to have some good luck in the New Year if you have this dish on New Years! This recipe is totally "from scratch", using dried beans and fresh ingredients. For a short cut, you could use canned or frozen black eyed peas, but try the dried peas...they don't take that long to cook once they have soaked for a while. I can make a meal of this by itself, just by adding a piece of cornbread! I hope you enjoy this as much as my family has in the past. Please note: Prep time does not include soaking time!"
 
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photo by teresas photo by teresas
photo by teresas
photo by Andi Longmeadow Farm photo by Andi Longmeadow Farm
photo by Susiecat too photo by Susiecat too
Ready In:
2hrs 35mins
Ingredients:
11
Yields:
8 cups
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ingredients

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directions

  • Sort and wash peas; place in a Dutch oven. Cover with water 2 inches above peas; let soak 24 hours. Drain, return to Dutch oven. Add 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 30 minutes or until tender. Set aside.
  • Place ham hocks in a medium saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heate, and simmer 40 minutes or until meat is tender. Remove from bone; coarsely chop meat. You can do this at the same time that the peas are cooking.
  • Add chopped meat, remaining 1 cup water, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, bacon, and next 3 ingredients to peas; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
  • To serve, spoon into individual serving bowls. Top each serving with tomato, green onions, and cheese.

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Reviews

  1. This is the first time the hubby and I have tried a Hopping John dish...we had such high hopes for this recipe...I even made the full amount thinking I could freeze it for later...but we both thought it lacked flavor so the hubby said lets add some hot sauce...that didn't work...plus we found it on the pasty side...it got real thick during cooking...I don't know if this is one of those dishes that you have to acquire a taste for...or that you love because you grew up with it...sorry...it just didn't work for us...but I'm glad we finally got to try a hopping john recipe...made for "For Your Consideration" tag game...
     
  2. OMG. I think I've died and gone to southern heaven. This is even better than the hoppin' john I used to have as a child. Paired it with #156352 and even better. Keeper for sure and the leftovers are going in the freezer. If I could give this more than 5 stars I would!
     
  3. It doesn't have to be New Years Day to make this winner of a recipe! There was a great combination of flavors in this dish and my friend and her DH enjoyed their first time having a traditional Hoppin' John! I served it up with Mexican Corn Bread and it couldn't have been better! Oh yeah, my only change was I used brown rice instead of regular. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us Breezermom! Made for Gimme 5 Tag Game 3/09 Linda
     
  4. We loved it! This dish has so much flavor! The only problem I had was starting with too big of a pan, so my ham hock wasn't completely submerged. I switched pans halfway through and everything went smoothly after that. Thanks for a great recipe, please see my rating system.
     
  5. I followed this exactly and what a treat for all of us on New Year Day 2009. Very easy and just so delicious you will want to eat this more often then just New Years Day. A ham hock really truly makes this smooth, and quite tasty. I didn't change anything about this recipe, as it is a classic alone. Thank you so much breezermom! Made for your win *Everyday is a Holiday* January 2009.
     
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Tweaks

  1. Yum, yum, yum. This was the perfect meal on a cold, blustery and wet day (it was 34 F and rainy!) I replaced the ham hock with a smoked turkey leg -- I think the flavor was probably similar -- and omitted the bacon altogether. (We don't eat pork.) And I served it without the cheese, too. So if you can accept those substitutions, I think I still make a great dish of Hoppin' John! It was smoky and soothing, comfort food at its best. Thanks, breezermom!
     

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