Hoppin' John (recipe)

[Sweet]

Having black-eyed peas on New Years Day is a big Southern tradition. I just thought I'd share my own version of it and y'all don't even need to hop around the table to get it.....

New Years Hoppin' John from Sweet

1 lb dried black-eyed peas (soaked in water and 1 beer overnight,the beer helps remove the flatulence effect of the beans)
1 lb bacon
1 pkg salt pork or hocks (I like hocks)
sausage, your favorite (venison or andoullie or polish is good)
1 xl onion (chopped fine)
few stalks celery (chopped fine)
some green pepper (1) (chopped fine)
couple of carrots (chopped fine or shredded)
LOTS of garlic, like 2 or 3 whole flowers
bay leaves, I use 4 - 5 fresh
parsley 1 fresh bunch
chicken or beef stock or both
optional- cilantro, basil, dill, olive oil, diced ham

Cook bacon on low till fat is rendered. (I use real good bacon so I do not take any fat out).

Add veges and sausage, cook till onions are clear, sausage lightly browned.

Add garlic and hock and stock. Heat well and stir. Add black-eyed peas and spices.

I like to place this into a crock pot and just keep it on low all day.

Serve some cornbread on the side. ( usually don't care too much for cornbread, but somehow it really works well with this!)

You will have to eat this all day because it tastes sooooo good.

(You can eliminate the overnight soak by either buying fresh or frozen black-eyed peas OR just boil peas and let em set fer like 4 hrs. Or, boil hard, then keep on cookin, they will get done, ya just might have to cook em a bit longer)

You can either drain the black-eyed peas before adding to pot or add the liquid. Some peeps like it thick like a chili, or it's so easy to thin down like a bit of soup with stock, beer (not too much) or plain water. And some people like to have this with rice (which makes the meal into a complete protein).

..ifn ur interested, google has alot of info about the history of this dish... gotta have da Hoppin' John for good luck in the New Year!

Happy New Year......

...y'all are real special for me to share one of my favorite recipes here!!!!!

I hope at least 1 person tries this and gives their review....

[Knothead]

Wow! Now that looks like a good one! I picked up the black-eyed-peas-on-New-Years thing awhile back (hey, whatever works) but no matter how many onions I put in, it's always....eh.

Too late this year, but I'll save this for next! Thank ya, Sweet!

[Sweet]

Good deal Knothead!!!! I'll wait till next year.

BTW, this dish does not "look" as tasty as it is.....

....and ya can't stop eating it....

and it does freeze well!!!!!

[pickel]

Soakin' the peas as we speak. Have em for dinner tomorow with left over honey baked ham from Christmas and "Yankee" corn muffins ( for me ) LOL

[glohworm]

Sweet,

Your receipe looks like it could feed an Army (no pun intended). I just printed it out and will get back later this week. It really looks great!

What is a whole flower of Garlic? You mean a clove? Or the whole bulb?

[Sweet]

Now, ifn y'all got a big to do, ya can use 2 pounds of dried black-eyed peas......

I'm terribly pleased that ya want to try em......

[Howard I. No]

went and bought about 12 lbs hog jowl, black-eye peas, and cabbage. usually have about 25 to 30 people on new years day ,this year expecting more, love deep fried hog jowl.

Pass on the hog jowl but please pass the peas.

Sweet, Fingers got me a really nice old Iron Skillet at the Antique store so I can make cornbread now...




too bad he's a yankee and doesn't like it!

[Sweet]

I consider a flower of garlic as being one whloe bugger ya pick up in the produce section. Then ya divide it into the little garlic pieces. I think garlic is soo good.

sooo to answer ur question..... The whole flower is the whole piece you hold in your hand.

I hope I made dis clear........ ahhh garlic.....

no vampires around my place!!!!!!