Ask Jot

Chosen Answer by Miss Libby

Oh cajun style is the best hoppin' John" is a corruption of "pois à pigeon" (especially if the "à" is elided in the Creole manner to make "pois pigeon" [pwaah-peejon]). Pigeon peas were another bean brought from Africa to the Americas. Although widely prolific in the West Indies, they have not flourished in this country, and cowpeas have more or less supplanted them. Hoppin' John INGREDIENTS: 1 pound dried black-eyed peas 2 small smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone 2 medium onions, divided 3 large cloves garlic, halved 1 bay leaf 1 cup long-grain white rice 1 can (10 to 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chile peppers, juices reserved 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped 3 ribs celery, chopped 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon salt 4 green onions, sliced PREPARATION: In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine the black-eyed peas, ham bone or ham hocks, and 6 cups water. Cut 1 of the onions in half and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the ham bone or hocks, cut off the meat; dice and set aside. Drain the peas and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaf, onion pieces, and garlic. Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Mince the remaining onion then add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, cumin, and salt. Cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced green onions and the reserved diced ham. Serve with hot sauce and freshly baked cornbread.

Chosen Answer by :]

Sorry if this isn't the rhyme but it was all i could find. :/ "The greatest luxury with which they are acquainted is a stew of bacon and peas, with red pepper, which they call ‘Hopping John’." Recipe: 2 cups of cow peas or black-eyed peas, soaked overnight 1/2 lb. smoked hog jowl salt pepper 1 cup rice 1) Drain and rinse peas in a colander. Set in a large pot with the hog jowl. Cover with 8 cups of water. Add salt and pepper to taste and boil until peas are tender. 2) Remove jowl. Cut off skin and discard. Cut meat into small pieces. Reserve. 3) Drain peas, reserving cooking liquid. 4) Put 1 cup of cooked peas in a pot with the rice and 2 1/2 cups of cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until rice is tender. 5) While rice is cooking, fry jowl pieces until crisp. Drain and reserve. 6) On a serving platter, combine peas-rice mixture, remaining peas, and cooking liquid. Place fried jowl pieces on top. Yield 8-10 servings.

Chosen Answer by Susan

I've never made it, but I have this recipe? Hoppin' John Serving Size : 6 •2 cups dried black eyed peas •6 cups water •3/4 cup onion -- chopped •1/4 cup celery -- chopped •2 pounds ham hocks •1 cup brown rice -- uncooked •1/4 teaspoon pepper Soak peas in the 6 cups of water overnight. Transfer soaked peas and soaking liquid to a large pot and add onions, celery, and ham hocks. Cover and cook over medium heat until peas are tender but still whole, about 45 minutes. Add rice and pepper, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour, or until rice is tender. Remove meat from ham hocks and discard bones and fat. Mix meat into peas and rice. Serve hot.

Chosen Answer by The Unknown Chef

Also if you brown the onions and use a mushroom stock cube, a few good spices, and the tofu product that are made to emulate sausage have a bit of smokey flavour, use half when you make it and the rest when done and your serving, as the length of cooking is going to dilute the flavours, even use tinned black eye peas and this will eliminate the issue make the sauce with the sausage, tomato's, peppers and spices and drain then warm the beans, even pour into a casserole and slowly bake in the oven or crockpot.

Chosen Answer by rhino72032

Hoppin' John is the Southern United States' version of the rice and beans dish traditional throughout the Caribbean. It consists of field peas or crowder peas (black-eyed peas) and rice, with chopped onion and sliced bacon, seasoned with a bit of salt.