Hoppin' John—Southern Style Black-Eyed Peas

Bringing in the New Year with a big bowl of Hoppin' John (black-eyed peas) is a New Year's tradition in our family.

Recipe by Stacy Lyn on December 21, 2018

Rating

5 stars (3 reviews)

black eyed peas,, holiday recipes, Hoppin' John, New Year's, stacey lyn, stacey lynn, stacy lyn, stacy lynn

Soak black-eyed peas in cold water for 24-36 hours. Occasionally remove the scum that rises to the top of the water. Rinse halfway through the 24 hours, add more water to the pot, and repeat. Drain peas. (If you don't have time to soak your peas, place them in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat once it reaches a boil and let the peas stand for 1 hour. Drain and use recipe.)
If you're using bacon, place bacon in a large pot over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Remove all but about 3 tablespoons of bacon drippings, but leave the bacon in the pan. If you are using a ham hock, heat bacon drippings in a pot. Add celery and 1 cup of onions to the pan/pot and sauté until soft (about 4 minutes). Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
Place black-eyed peas, chicken stock, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper into the pan. If you are using a ham hock, place it in the pot with the vegetables. Bring to a boil, and then lower to simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until peas are creamy and tender. Stir occasionally. If the liquid evaporates, add more water.
Meanwhile, cook the rice.
Once the peas are done, remove the ham hock and pull any meat off the bone and place the meat into the collards if you're serving with collards (which I highly suggest). Adjust seasonings and top with scallions. Serve over rice.

LaR on 2025-01-05 (5 stars):
I made the recipe as stated, just making adjustments for vegan. Used 1 tsp smoked paprika instead of ham, and vegetable oil instead of drippings, unsalted vegetable broth. Flavors turned out really well with one exception. It was saltier than I had expected I had put in a scant tablespoon of kosher salt. I went back and checked the recipe thinking that I had misread it, but it did call for that much. Next time I will try just one teaspoon of kosher salt. I won't throw food out so I am thinking of possibly adding some potatoes cooked in the rest of the recipe for the next meal, and will decide to either remove them or leave them in depending on how it tastes. Other than that, it's a good recipe for me.
Mylissa on 2022-12-25 (5 stars):
I made the recipe exactly as posted except I did not have fresh peas so I used 1lb bag of dried black eyed peas that I soaked overnight and drained. These peas were so flavorful and cooked perfectly. I put the salt in at the end of the cooking time and tasted before adding the salt to be sure it wasn’t too much for my taste. Some ham hocks are saltier than others. Thank you ma’am!
Sandra on 2022-01-03 (5 stars):
Thank you for the recipe thank you for sharing so many with us!