As far as Southern dishes go, Hoppin’ John is about as due south as it gets.  Originating from the South Carolina lowcountry and coastal Georgia, Hoppin John is said to have been introduced to America by West African slaves. Many of the southern dishes we enjoy today are rooted in the cooking techniques and traditions of West Africa. My mom’s people come from Georgia and her father was native to South Carolina so it’s no mystery how Hoppin’ John landed on our plates.

It’s history runs deep into America’s DNA. The earliest known reference to Hoppin’ John  in the U.S. comes from the Carolina Housewife cookbook by Sarah Rutledge, published in 1847.  Hoppin’ John has been further traced to similar foods in West Africa, in particular the Senegalese dish thiebou niebe according to acclaimed chef and culinary historian Michael Twitty in his book,  “The Transnational Dish of the Motherland: The African Roots of Rice and Beans”. Many iterations of bean and rice dishes originating in West Africa, migrated to the colonies along with Africans that were captured and brought here.

Traditionally, Hoppin’ John is served on New Year’s Day. This guarantees the person eating it good luck and fortune throughout the year (except apparently 2020!). Growing up, it was definitely a staple in our home.  My mom served it with smoked ham hocks, collard greens and cornbread. She was adamant about serving it every New Year’s Day. If you’re not familiar with what the meal represents: black-eyed peas = coins, collard greens = dollar bills, cornbread = gold.

Hoppin’ John is quite simply just rice and beans. That’s it! Couldn’t be simpler! My mother, Ms. Humphrey made them taste sooo good though, and while you could bet on seeing Hoppin John on our New Year’s Day dinner table, they weren’t reserved just for New Year’s at our house. It was very often a go-to everyday meal that included a few big juicy ham hocks. And, if you cooked enough for the next day well, Hoppin’ John becomes Skippin’ Jenny! How funny is that?

Skippin’ Jenny is the counterpart to Hoppin’ John. Gender-bending Jenny symbolizes frugality and is supposed to provide more luck for the new year than John (I guess). So, eating your Skippin’ Jenny will bring you greater prosperity for the year. She’s a budget-friendly leftover meal to help save some dollars and get your pockets fat! She’s a badass!

Hoppin John is the kind of meal that you think you’ve outgrown once you get a little older. At some point as your tastes mature, you rediscover the foods you grew up eating and remember how much you really love them. It’s funny that some of these foods we grew up eating have now been elevated to ” high-end cuisine.” Now, it almost impossible to buy things that were almost free years ago, like ox tails that are now crazy expensive. But, I digress.

So, here is a simple, delicious and inexpensive meal that takes very little culinary heavy lifting. While I prefer soaking my beans, usually overnight, there’s absolutely no shame in using canned beans.  Many people swear by Carolina Gold rice as the best rice to use. If you find it the good for you. Finding it online is a little easier than trying to find it at your local grocery store but, you may find it a Whole Foods. Here is one location you can find Caroline Gold online at Anson Mills. And here’s a tip, save your Christmas ham bone and toss it in the pot to season your black-eyed peas, OMG, nothing better!

Hoppin’ John

1 lb bag of dried black-eyed peas, sorted, soaked and rinsed
2 med. smoked ham hocks
1 med. diced yellow onion
1 rib diced celery
1 – 2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp bacon drippings or cooking oil
2 bay leaves
1tsp thyme
salt to taste
pepper to taste
dash of cayenne

In a heavy pan, cover ham hocks with water and cook on medium, topping off as needed to keep water covering the ham hocks. Cook the ham hocks until the meat falls away from the bone. That might take about 3 to 3-1/2 hours.

At this point, ham hocks can taken from the cooking liquid and pulled from the bones . Return the meat to the cooking liquid.

In a heavy medium sized pan, sauté onion and celery in bacon drippings or other cooking oil until translucent (about 4-5 minutes). Add minced garlic and let cook for another minute or so.

Add sautéed onions, celery and garlic, black-eyed peas, bay leaves, thyme and seasonings to the ham hocks and let the pot come to a boil. Lower heat to medium low to simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until peas are soft but not mushy.

Steam rice in a separate pan according to cooking instructions.

Serve beans over steamed rice, garnish with parsley. Serve with collard greens and cornbread.