Who's cooking Hopping John for New Year's Dinner?

[CatWoman]

and exactly why are black eyed peas called Hopping John?

Anyone know?

[stellanoir]

1. Just like Thanksgiving

your cats are supposed to cook and they have the recipe, they're just not telling you.

They love you in other ways though most assuredly.

[Sporadicus]

2. I've Heard One Plausible Explanation

that 'hopping John' is an Anglicized bastardization of the Creole French pois pigeons - 'pigeon peas', pronounced pwah peeZHON. It's not that much of a stretch from there to 'hopping John' (though why not 'popping John,' I wonder).

Yes, I'm having some on New Year's Day! :party:

[seemunkee]

3. Hoppin john is more than black eyed peas

You need rice and ham hocks in there also

[Sporadicus]

4. That's True

anything less is just plain-ass black-eyed peas.

[maveric]

5. My dad, a Korean war vet, used to make that.

He loved that and Kimchee <sp>, that hot cabbage stuff that they ferment underground.
I havent had or even heard of hoping john for over 30 years.

[Sporadicus]

6. If I Had Hopping John & Kimchee in the Same Meal

I'd be arrested for accidentally asphyxiating my entire family - including the pets & even the carpet beetles!

[maveric]

11. The old man loved it on a saturday night.

He'd top it off with pickled pigs feet and Guinness.

[depakid]

7. Here's how it was explained to me

First of all, Hoppin John is black eyed peas AND hamhock or bacon AND rice. My mom (as southern as they come) claimed that the dish came from Africa and that the mix was essentially what was fed to slaves on the way over to America and the Carribean. There is in fact a similar dish called pois a pigeon that sounds kind of like pwoppin jahwn.

You eat Hoppin John (as we did every new years) for good luck. The beans represented "jingling money" and we always ate greens of one sort or another with it to represent "folding money."

[VaYallaDawg]

8. Cooking hoppin' john here.

I like some cayenne pepper and green onions thrown in at the last minute. You have to have it for good luck! Every blackeyed pea that you eat on New Years Day will be a dollar you didn't expect to get during the year.

Pois de pigeon is the origin (as noted above), corrupted by Louisiana locals into hoppin' john.

[Bunny]

10. Can you post a recipe?

I've never had Hopping John, and I'd like to try it. Thanks!

[VaYallaDawg]

12. Here goes

As somebody noted above, the classic cajun recipe is with hamhocks. In our family we always made it with bacon, it just seems to taste better, also easier to control how much grease gets into the final dish.

To serve 4-6 persons:
1 cup plain rice (not Minute rice)
1 can (16 oz) blackeyed peas
1/2 lb bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups water
1/2 teasp cayenne pepper (or 1 teasp red pepper flakes)
1 teasp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chopped scallions (white parts and a little of the green)


Brown the bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour out (and reserve) the bacon grease leaving just enough in the skillet to coat the bottom. Cook the chopped onion in the skillet until soft, 4-5 mins. Remove the onion, put it into a medium-size (2-3 qt) saucepan which has a cover.

Next brown the rice slightly (3-4 mins) in the bacon grease, adding a few drops of grease if needed to keep it from sticking. The rice will "hop" a little during this stage, which some people believe to be another source for the name of the dish. Add the rice to the onion in the saucepan.

Drain the peas in a colander and rinse (to get rid of that yukky canned taste). Add them to the rice and onion mixture. Add 2 cups water, season with Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the rice absorbs all the water, about 20 minutes. Crumble the bacon and add it and the scallions to the mixture, taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as desired. Cajun spices are also great in this (try Zatarain's) but be careful not to overdo it.

[CatWoman]

15. Thanks for the recipe

I wasn't going to cook some, but now that I have this kick ass recipe, I'm in!!

[VaYallaDawg]

16. My pleasure, Cat!

Have a great New Years Day dinner!

[Bunny]

17. Thanks! That sounds simple enough!

I like rice and bean-type dishes, so this should be good!

[CatWoman]

18. I'm cooking pinto beans and rice right now

:D

scored some andouille sausage too!!!

[Bunny]

19. Too bad I'm nowhere near Atlanta!

Beans and rice wiyh sausage! Mmmmmmmmmmm...........

[mitchum]

9. Me! Me!

But I am a heretic because I use field peas instead of black eyed peas

[VaYallaDawg]

13. Field peas are great in it too.

That's the way my sister makes it. But I'm a purist, I think you need the blackeyes for luck.

[seemunkee]

14. Remember it's for New Years Day not Eve

[GOPisEvil]

20. My mom makes it every year!

:9

[charlyvi]

21. Hoppin' John.

The g is superfluous. It's good, just don't put too many black-eyed peas in it. The black eyed peas themselves are not the Hoppin' John--they have to have the rice and spices as well. Plain black-eyed peas are just black-eyed peas.

[Ramsey]

22. For New Year's Day

For good luck.

Here's a blurb on the name from Epicurious, and my favorite recipe (except I prefer crumbled chorizo to kielbasa, much spicier!)

There has been much debate over the strange name of this rice and bean combination. One theory suggests that "Hoppin' John" is a corruption of pois à pigeon, French for pigeon peas, with which the dish was originally made in the French colonies of the Caribbean, where it was likely created.

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
6 ounces smoked kielbasa sausage
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
2 celery ribs
1/2 fresh jalapeño chile
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
Accompaniment: cooked rice

Quick-soak black-eyed peas (boil in water 2-3 minutes, then soak 1 hour).
Quarter kielbasa lengthwise and cut quarters crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Chop onion and mince garlic. Cut celery crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Wearing rubber gloves, seed and mince jalapeño.

In a 3-quart heavy kettle cook kielbasa, onion, garlic, celery, jalapeño, and bay leaf in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened. Add peas and broth and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, or until peas are tender. Discard bay leaf and stir in coriander and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve Hoppin' John spooned over rice.

[CatWoman]

26. YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

:9

[yellowdogintexas]

23. Try it with fresh Black Eyed Peas if you can get them

Central Market sells fresh shelled black eyed peas this time of year, and that is a whole other creature. They are wonderful.

I grew up disliking Black eyed peas and my mom would force me to eat at least a teaspoon of them on New Year's Day. As an adult, I grew to like them, and actually enjoy them now.

After I ate fresh ones right out of the garden, I was amazed. Most people who grow a big garden will pick and shell the fresh ones through most of the summer and along about Labor Day leave them on the bush to dry for the winter. My aunts used to freeze the fresh ones too.

Corn bread, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers marinated in vinegar with lots of salt and pepper round out this wonderful meal.

Oh Yeah and a big glass of sweet strong iced tea

[fluffernutter]

24. we are, my gramma always made it, so now i do.

Hoppin' John rocks :P

[NC_Nurse]

25. Ya gotta have greens too...

they represent money...prosperity for the new year. My mom used to make collards (with ham of course!).

Yum! :)

[CatWoman]

27. HI HO, HI HO

To the Farmers Market I go :D

[KoKo]

28. Every year I've cooked "Hoppin' John." This year...NO! It's given me

BAD LUCK instead of the "Good Luck" promised. I'm Southern but lived away most of my life. Yet, every year I cooked my "Black Eyed Peas/onions and beans" for "Hoppin'John" to give me good luck an honor my ancestors.

My life has been crap now for too long. The damned "Hoppin' John" did it to me...I've given it up. NONE OF THAT FOR ME THIS YEAR! It's plain "green beans with almonds."

Ancestors and the SOUTH BE DAMNED...I NO LONGER HAVE ANYTHING IN COMMON...Next year I'm going to do "Swiss Chard."

Damned "Hoppin' John CRAP ...betrayed me...

[CatWoman]

29. what about collard greens?

:shrug:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

30. I never heard of this black eyed pea thing on New Year's before I lived

in the South.

[Wapsie B]

31. Me!

Love the stuff! It's a New Year's tradition in our house.

[chimpymustgo]

32. Gotta shop tomorrow. There won't be a bean or a green left by Friday.

Good stuff.

[n2mark]

33. This might not be the same

I'm making blackeye peas with ham hocks, onions, garlic and carrots Does this pass?

[CatWoman]

35. someone said you have to add rice

in order for it to be considered Hoppin John.

[TexasLady]

34. oooo these recipes!!!

Grandma turned us on to this, and mama too. My kids now know the tradition, pass it on!!

Dee DAMN licious!!!!