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hoppin' john a new year tradition - dee dee's

(8 ratings)
DeeDee2011 avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Diane Atherton
@DeeDee2011
PINE MOUNTAIN, GA

As long as I can remember, we had black-eyed peas & greens on New Year's Day. Throughout the coastal South, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck. The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls. Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, kale, cabbage etc. along with this dish are supposed to also add to the wealth since they are the color of money. Another traditional food, cornbread can also be served to represent wealth being the color of gold.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

We loved Diane's version of this classic New Year recipe. It's a great way to use a leftover ham bone. Adding Rotel gives the dish a punch of flavor so go easy on the seasoning until you taste it. There's a great balance of fresh vegetables in this recipe. Even though they are added towards the end of the cooking process, they are cooked nicely and have a slight crunch. This hoppin' john recipe has a few steps. If you follow Diane's instructions, you'll have a great New Year's dinner.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(8 ratings)
prep time 2 Hr
cook time 25 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For hoppin' john a new year tradition - dee dee's

  • 1 bag
    dried black-eyed peas, 16 oz.
  • 1 lg
    carrot (optional)
  • 1 to 2 tsp
    baking soda (optional)
  • 1
    meaty ham bone (I used a ham bone I had in the freezer from our Thanksgiving ham) you can use ham hock or chopped ham
  • 2 md
    onions, chopped and divided
  • 3 to 4 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 1
    bay leaf
  • 1 c
    long-grain white rice (not minute rice)
  • 1 can
    Rotel tomatoes, 10 oz.
  • 1 lg
    bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 to 3
    ribs of celery, chopped
  • 1 lg
    jalapeno pepper, minced
  • 2 tsp
    Cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried thyme
  • Everglade seasoning to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste (I used cayenne pepper)
  • 3 to 4
    green onions, sliced
  • red pepper flakes to taste, optional

How To Make hoppin' john a new year tradition - dee dee's

  • Black-eyed peas soaking in a pot with carrots.
    1
    Soak peas. I used the 2-hour method for soaking peas; rinse and sort peas. Combine 8 to 10 cups of cold water, carrot, baking soda, and peas in a large pot.
  • Black-eyed peas boiling in a pot.
    2
    Bring to a vigorous boil; boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Let peas soak for 2 hours. NOTE: The carrot and baking soda is a little trick that was passed on from my grandmother and mother. They both believed that this will reduce gas. Not sure this is true but I have been cooking dried peas and beans this way for years without a problem.
  • Adding the ham bone, onion, bay leaf, and garlic to pot.
    3
    Once peas have soaked, add meaty ham bone, 1/2 of the chopped onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a med-low and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until peas are tender but not mushy. NOTE: If necessary, add additional water to cover peas.
  • Shredding the meat from the ham bone.
    4
    Remove the ham bone, cut off meat. Dice and set aside.
  • Draining water from the peas.
    5
    Drain the peas and set aside.
  • Adding rice to a pot of water to bring to a boil.
    6
    Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil; add rice and bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Adding onion, black-eyed peas, Rotel, and seasoning to the cooked rice.
    7
    Add remaining onion, peas, Rotel tomatoes (with juice), bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, and seasonings to rice. Bring to a simmer and cook an additional 5 to 8 minutes until rice is tender.
  • Folding in green onion and meat.
    8
    Stir in sliced green onions and ham. Serve with hot cornbread.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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