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New Year's Day Hoppin John

Hoppin John recipe combines tender black-eyed peas and smoked ham hock with fluffy rice simmered in the peas’ cooking liquid. This Southern New Year’s Day dish is finished with sliced scallions for a fresh, savory topping.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 16 minutes
Soaking and resting 8 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 9 hours 41 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Southern
Calories: 470
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb black-eyed peas dried
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 yellow onion medium, diced
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper medium, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ham hock smoked, about 1 pound
  • 8 cups water plus more as needed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup rice long-grain white
  • 2 cups cooking liquid reserved from the peas
  • 3 scallions thinly sliced

Equipment

  • 1 6-quart Dutch oven
  • 1 2-quart saucepan

Method
 

  1. Put the black-eyed peas in a large bowl and cover them with several inches of cold water.
  2. Soak the peas for at least 8 hours or overnight, then drain and rinse.
  3. Heat the oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat.
  4. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
  5. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  6. Add the drained peas, ham hock, 8 cups water, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper.
  7. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
  8. Cook partially covered for 45 to 60 minutes, until the peas are tender.
  9. Remove the ham hock and bay leaf.
  10. Pull the meat from the hock, discard the bone and skin, and return the meat to the Dutch oven with the peas.
  11. Strain the peas, reserving the cooking liquid.
  12. Return the peas and ham to the Dutch oven and cover to keep warm.
  13. Measure 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, adding water if needed.
  14. Combine the cooking liquid with the rice in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.
  15. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 to 18 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
  16. Remove the rice from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
  17. Fluff the rice with a fork and fold it into the peas and ham.
  18. Taste and add more salt if needed.
  19. Top with the scallions.

Notes

For fluffy rice, let it stand covered for the full 10 minutes before folding it into the peas and ham. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months. For a lighter variation, use smoked turkey hock instead of ham hock.