from our old pal, a Mississippi native, Craig Claiborne

Black-eye or black-eyed peas seem to figure ubiquitously on Southern tables, and Yankee visitors seem to look at them askance. They are not necessarily country fare, as many people claim them to be. They appear on the tables of rich and poor, the educated and uneducated alike, and are eaten with equal enthusiasm. They are a basis of the dish known as Hoppin’ John, the origin of which name no one seems to be able to explain. The dish is made with either black-eyed peas or cow peas and rice, and it is certainly one of the most traditional of Southern dishes. It is served in many Southern homes on New Year’s Day to bring all those assembled good luck throughout the year. I am amused to think that in South Carolina there is a dish made of okra and rice called Limping Susan. The first recipe for Hoppin’ John is a modernized version demonstrated for me by Bill Neal, a fine young North Carolina chef.

Craig Claiborne, Southern Cooking (1987)

HOPPIN’ JOHN WITH GARNISHES

4 to 6 servings

1/8 lb streaky bacon or salt pork, cut in small cubes (about ½ C)
1/3 C carrots, scraped, diced
½ C celery, chopped fine
2/3 C onions, chopped fine
10 oz fresh or frozen black-eyed peas
1 clove garlic, peeled, left whole
2 ¾ C (“approximately”) water
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt “to taste, if desired”
¼ tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1 C raw rice
2 Tbsp butter

GARNISHES

1 ripe tomato, about ¼ lb, unpeeled, cubed
¼ lb sharp Cheddar cheese, grated fine
1 C (about 2 bunches, white and green parts) scallions, chopped fine

Cook bacon or salt pork in a saucepan, stirring often, until all cubes are crisp. Add carrots, celery, and onion, and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add peas, garlic, and 1 ¼ C water, or to barely cover, thyme, bay leaf, salt (if using”), and red pepper flakes, bring to a boil, and let simmer uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until peas are “tender but not mushy.” Remove from flame. Cook rice in remaining 1 ½ C water and salt (if using) and stir in butter. Arrange hot rice in center of a platter, spoon hot pea mixture, including liquid, over rice, scatter cheese over peas, place tomato cubes around rice, scatter scallions over tomatoes, and serve immediately.