Esau'S Hoppin' John
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package dried field peas or black-eyed peas ⓘ
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled ⓘ
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary ⓘ
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme ⓘ
- 6 ounces fatback* ⓘ
- 2 (8-ounce) smoked ham hocks ⓘ
- 1 cup medium-size sweet onion, finely chopped ⓘ
- 2 garlic cloves, minced ⓘ
- 10 cup water, divided ⓘ
- 2 cups uncooked short-grain rice ⓘ
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided ⓘ
Instructions
- Place field peas in a Dutch oven; add water to cover 2 inches above peas. Bring to a boil, and boil 1 minute. Cover, remove from heat, and let stand 1 hour. Drain peas, and set aside.
- Place peeled garlic cloves and next 3 ingredients in the center of a large coffee filter; bring sides up, and tie with kitchen twine. Set garlic-and-herb bag aside.
- Saute fatback in Dutch oven over medium-low heat 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove fatback, reserving drippings in Dutch oven, and discard.
- Add ham hock to Dutch oven, and cook 5 minutes or until skin becomes crispy and lean portion of the ham hock is tender. (Use the tines of a fork to test tenderness.)
- Add onion and minced garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours.
- Bring remaining 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; stir in rice and 2 teaspoons salt. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Set rice aside.
- Add field peas, garlic-and-herb bag, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to ham hock mixture in Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Remove and discard garlic-and-herb bag.
- Stir cooked rice into field pea mixture; simmer 5 minutes or until heated through, adding broth, if necessary.
- *Salt pork may be substituted.
- Note: Esau uses a short-grain rice. He says you can substitute 4 cups of cooked long-grain rice, prepared according to package directions, but it will have a different texture.
Nutrition & Diet Analysis (per serving)
361
kcal
18% DV
Protein
Fat
Carbs
Diet fit
High-fiber
Under 400 cal
Low-fat
Estimated from ingredients & per-serving nutrition — verify against package labels for allergies or strict diets.
* % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (FDA 2020).
Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data and may vary with brand, portion and preparation — see our methodology. This information is for general educational purposes only and is not medical or dietary advice (disclaimer).