Hoppin' John

Black eyed peas and rice with smoked ham hock broth and lemon zest

Course Main Course

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 30

Servings (click to scale)

Calories 280kcal

Get Recipe Ingredients

Soak black-eyed peas- Pick over dried peas, rinse and soak in water overnight.
Cooked ham hock- Place ham hock and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 hours until meat is tender. Strain and chill broth. Remove skin and bone from the ham hock and discard. Chill meat. Keep broth and ham in refrigerator until ready to cook black-eyed peas.
Cook black-eyed peas- Heat oil and sauté onions, carrots and celery until soft, 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add half of the defatted ham broth and pre-soaked black eyed peas along with the spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered until beans are very soft but not broken, 30 - 60 minutes. Low simmering will ensure that the beans do not burst. 10 minutes before beans are cooked through, add the shredded ham meat and season with salt and pepper.
Cook rice- Place rice and remaining ham broth in a pot and bring to a boil. (Make sure ratio of rice to water is 1:2. Add more water if needed. Example 5 Tbsp rice in 10 Tbsp water.) Lower heat to simmer, cover and steam for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for 10 more minutes. Fluff rice just before service.
Assemble- Combine beans and rice gently so that beans do not break. Garnish with parsley and lemon peel.

Recommend starting the recipe a day in advance to soak the black-eyed peas and make the ham broth.