Hoppin' John
Quick answer
- Total time
- 835 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 13
About this dish
Black-eyed peas are not black beans or kidney beans; they are pale, each with a single dark spot.
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They simmer with smoky ham, green pepper and scallions, while the rice cooks in a separate pot. Dried peas that have been stored a while soften unevenly, and keeping the rice apart lets them cook as long as they need without it turning to paste. Plan on a twelve-hour soak in the fridge.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Sort and rinse the peas.
Cover with 1000 ml water and refrigerate, covered, for 12 hours. Drain the soaking water and rinse.
- 2
Dice ham into 1 cm pieces, chop pepper and scallions, and mince garlic.
Cook ham in oil in a heavy pot over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add pepper, half the scallions and garlic and cook 7 minutes.
- 3
Add peas, stock, bay leaf, thyme and pepper and bring to a boil.
Partly cover and simmer gently for 60 to 75 minutes, until the pea centers are tender and floury. Older peas may need longer.
- 4
When the peas are nearly tender, rinse the rice and put it in a separate pan with the remaining 440 ml water.
Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low for 15 to 18 minutes. Turn off the heat and rest covered for 10 minutes.
- 5
If the pea broth is thin, mash two spoonfuls of peas into it and reduce uncovered for 5 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and add the salt. Spoon peas and broth over rice and finish with the remaining scallions.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- Classic Hoppin John
Camellia Brand · Checked: 2026-09-26
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