Hoppin’ John

• Take the bacon and cut it into small pieces. Place a medium pot over medium-high heat and place the bacon in it. Cook it for a while until it is crispy.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add onion, celery, and green pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes or until they start turning brown in color. Now add garlic to the pot and keep stirring it for another 2 minutes.
• Now add black-eyed peas, thyme, Cajun seasoning, and bay leaf and pour 4 cups of water so that everything is immersed in it. Cover the pot and let it cook for 30 minutes or an hour, or until the peas are soft and tender.
• Take a medium-sized saucepan and pour 4 cups of water in it. Bring the water to a boil and add 2 cups of long grain rice in it. Stir it with the help of a wooden spoon, reduce the heat to the lowest, cover the saucepan with a lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes or until the rice are soft.
• Look at the pot in which the beans are cooking and if they are soft enough then drain the excess water by transferring the beans to a strainer. Discard the bay leaf and add salt to adjust seasoning.
• For serving put a scope of rice in a bowl and add the beans on top of it and serve while it is hot. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Trivia

Hoppin’ John is also known as Carolina Peas and Rice. Leftovers of Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day are called ‘Skippin’ Jenny’ which is considered to bring hope for even better chance at prosperity.