Hoppin John- A New Year’s Eve Tradition
I was doing an article for the patch for New Years. My editor told me something about a tradition in the South called Hoppin John. I had never heard to the dish or the tradition and decided to do some research.
Turns out it is a dish made with rice and beans. It is to be eaten at midnight, New Year’s eve to bring good luck. The idea is to eat poor that night and eat rich the rest of the year.
Sounded good to me. As I read a bit more, I noticed it is usually made with some pork product and is served with some Southern style greens. I started thinking and decided to make mine with pancetta. I added some onions, garlic and green peppers to that. I also added dried thyme and made it mine by adding- yes, you guessed it- smoked paprika. I sauteed the mixture and added a can of black eyed peas, the rice and chicken broth. Once the rice was almost cooked, I added a lot of baby spinach.
I decided to make this into a one pot meal and healthy. Since traditionally the dish is served with greens, I decided to add mine right into the rice and beans.
The result was a delicious and quick comforting dish. Definitely make this for New Year’s Eve to ensure good luck for the rest of the Year- and Happy New Year to you and your family!
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ green pepper, chopped
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15 1/2 ounce can of black eyed peas
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 6 ounces baby spinach
Heat a saucepan with the pancetta and olive oil. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the thyme, onion, garlic and green pepper. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and paprika. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the black eyed peas and mix well. Add the rice and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover the pan half way. Simmer for 10 minutes and cover all the way and lower the heat. Cook for another ten minutes and turn the heat off. Let it sit for ten minutes and add the spinach, stirring constantly. Serve immediately.
