Tag Archives: brown rice

Hoppin’ John

Hoppin’ John is a dish that originated in the Low Country (Carolinas) made with black-eyed peas and rice. I usually cook Hoppin’ John in the pressure cooker (As in Chef Cheri’s Hasty Tasty Meals ©2003), but this version is tasty and worth a little extra work. Use a 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven for best results. You will need a 1-quart covered saucepan or rice cooker for the rice, plus a tea kettle for boiling water.

RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 1 cup long grain brown rice
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 tsp. salt, divided
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas (soaked overnight and rinsed)
• 6 cups water
• 1 can Rotel® tomatoes and green chilies
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 lb. cooked Andouille sausage

Directions:

1. Preheat cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and melt 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter.
2. Add the brown rice and stir. Toast the rice, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
3. Spoon the rice into a 1-quart saucepan. Add 2 cups boiling water and 1 tsp. salt. Cover and cook over low heat for twenty-five minutes or until tender. Do not overcook.
4. Add 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter to the Dutch oven and sauté the onions over low heat. After ten minutes add the garlic, bay leaf, and the black-eyed peas.
5. Stir to combine then add 6 cups water. Cover Dutch oven.
6. Time for two hours and cook over low heat. After about 30 minutes, lift the cover and move it to allow steam to escape.
7. After the peas are cooked, add 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper. Salting peas earlier may make them tough.
8. Add ½ pound cooked Andouille sausage cut into ½ inch slices, along with the can of Rotel®. Remove the bay leaf.
9. Remove Dutch oven from heat, stir in rice, and serve. Covered, the hoppin’ John will keep warm for about an hour.

Yield: About 6 meal-size servings or 12 side dish servings.