No one seems completely sure where the name Hoppin' John comes from. Variations run from the clearly apocryphal suggestion that this was the name of a waiter at a local restaurant who walked with a limp, to the plausible, a corruption of pois pigeon (pigeon peas in French). Culinary historian Karen Hess in her masterwork, The Carolina Rice Kitchen: The African Connection, offers a twenty-plus page dissertation on everything from the history of the dish to recipe variations to a number of suggestions for the origin of its name, ranging from Malagasy to ancient Arabic. The only thing that all seem to agree on about Hoppin' John is that the dish is emblematic of South Carolina and is composed of rice and black-eyed peas.
Many years back I was amazed to discover a startlingly similar dish on the luncheon table at the Dakar home of Senegalese friends. There, the dish was prepared with beef and not smoked pork, but the rice and black-eyed peas were the same. The name of that dish was given as thiébou niébé.
There seem to be two variations on Hoppin' John: One calls for the rice to be cooked with the peas. The second calls for the peas and rice to be cooked separately and then mixed together at a final stage prior to serving. I prefer to cook my rice and peas together.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pick over the black-eyed peas to remove dirt and stones. Soak them in water to cover at least 4 hours or overnight. Fry the salt pork in a large heavy casserole to render the fat. When the salt pork is crisp, add the black-eyed peas and the quart of water, the thyme, salt, and pepper, cover, and cook over low heat for 40 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and continue to cook until the peas are tender. Add the rice, cover with the 3 cups hot water, and simmer over low heat until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Serve hot.
Step 2
On New Year's Day, in some families, a dime is placed in the Hoppin' John to ensure special good luck throughout the year for the person who gets it. However, the thought of cracking a tooth makes me think that this may not be the best idea. Try it if you wish.
