BAM's Hoppin' John
I created this recipe when I was trying to make something a little different out of some leftover blackeyed peas after New Year's. It's very versatile because you can substitute the sausage with browned ground meat, add pickled jalapenos, bell pepper, or almost anything to change it to suit your taste.
I created this recipe when I was trying to make something a little different out of some leftover blackeyed peas after New Year's. It's very versatile because you can substitute the sausage with browned ground meat, add pickled jalapenos, bell pepper, or almost anything to change it to suit your taste.
- Carbohydrate 36.299256875 g
- Cholesterol 17.08 mg
- Fat 8.378885 g
- Fiber 4.58203126275539 g
- Protein 7.450621875 g
- Saturated Fat 2.72507375 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (169g)
- Sodium 237.127125 mg
- Sugar 31.7172256122446 g
- Trans Fat 1.23898 g
- Calories 252 calories
Step-by-step
- Sort and rinse the peas in a colander and place them in a large pot.
- Cover the peas with water - about 2 inches above the peas.
- Add the salt and cook covered on low heat for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- If they get too dry, bring a small amout of water to a boil and add it to the peas until they are desired consistancy.
- Add the sausage, onion, and tomatoes and simmer for about 45 minutes.
- Add rice, oregano, and black pepper and add more salt, if needed.
Unlike a standard southern Hoppin' John served over a separate bed of grains, this variant incorporates cooked rice directly into the pot during the final simmering phase. Such integration allows the starches from the rice to thicken the broth slightly, creating a cohesive stew rather than distinct layers of legumes and starch.
Adapting for Dietary Needs
Converting this dish for vegetarian or vegan diets requires addressing the smoked sausage. Replace the pork product with smoked mushrooms or seitan to retain the essential umami profile without animal proteins. When omitting cured meats, supplement the missing sodium and smoke by adding a pinch of smoked paprika and increasing the initial salt quantity by a quarter teaspoon. For gluten-free requirements, verify that the canned tomatoes and packaged rice contain no cross-contamination agents, though the base ingredients are naturally free of wheat proteins.
- If the legumes remain hard after three hours of simmering, check the water hardness; high mineral content prevents pectin breakdown, requiring an extended cooking window of up to one additional hour.
- Should the mixture scorch at the bottom of the pot, reduce the heat setting immediately and transfer the contents to a clean vessel without scraping the burned layer into the food.
- Control the liquid level strictly by adding boiling water in half-cup increments to prevent abrupt temperature drops that stall the softening process.
