Hoppin’ John

A traditional Southern recipe for New Year’s luck. Serves about six.

1 pound dried black-eyed peas
3 small smoked ham hocks
2 onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 bay leaf
1 cup rice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

In a crockpot or a heavy pot, bring the black-eyed peas, two of the ham hocks, half an onion, bay leaf, and six cups of water to a simmer. Mince the garlic and throw that in too. Cook until the beans are just tender, which takes about two hours.

While that is going on, you can take the remaining ham hock and bring to a boil in a pot with three quarts (12 cups) of water and some salt. Julienne the collard greens and add to the pot with a tablespoon of butter; you can also throw in hot sauce or cayenne if you like your greens spicy. Boil for about 45 minutes and drain.

When the peas are done cooking, take out those two ham hocks and dice their meat. Drain the peas, removing the bay leaf and onion. (You can retain the water to add to the broth in other recipes if you like.) Add two and a half more cups of water to the peas and bring to a boil; add the rice, cover, and lower to a simmer for about ten minutes or until the rice is nearly done.

Meanwhile, dice the rest of the onions and add to the rice with your seasonings. Add to the rice and cook for a further 5-8 minutes or until done. Stir in the diced ham and serve over greens.