Hoppin’ John for New Year’s Day
Who Wants to Get Lucky?
Hoppin John (Black Eyed Peas) with Rice | Photo by Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
I’ve been thinking about luck. Is it indeed just chance; a random accident of birth or circumstance, like inheriting a trust fund or finding your soul mate—or conversely, being hit by a bus or losing your bitcoin password?
But what if we make our own luck? Perhaps it’s really all about hard work, perseverance, and a positive outlook.
I reside in both camps, depending on how my day is going. It’s true that fantastic opportunities can drop into your lap, but most of the time you need to take action to recognize them, obtain them, and even put yourself on the path where you may encounter them.
And yet … some people are so very lucky, aren’t they? I know someone that won hundreds of thousands with Publisher’s Clearing House, then millions more in a state lottery. Then there’s my friend who took over her grandma’s 8-room rent-controlled apartment on Washington Square. And what about Paul Rudd?
So, yeah, we may well be the masters of our fate, but I’ll tell you right now I need all the luck I can get. That’s why I’m adopting a new tradition to usher in 2022 by putting black-eyed peas and rice with greens on my New Year’s Day menu.
This simple meal has been a good luck ritual among Black Americans and Southerners on New Year’s Day for going on two centuries. It’s said that the black-eyed peas resemble coins and collard greens look like paper money. Combine the two for prosperity and abundance in the new year.
There are countless variations on this traditional dish, usually called Hoppin’ John (no one is sure why). According to The New York Times, the authentic recipe is a one-dish meal (rice with beans) made with cowpeas. But there you have it; just as there is no clarity on how Hoppin’ John got its name, there are many ways to make it.
I chose a recipe from “Harlem Really Cooks: the Nouvelle Soul Food of Harlem” by the late Sandra Lawrence, published by Lake Isle Press. Sandra’s very personal book shares recipes that were passed down to generations of Black home cooks like her and her Harlem neighbors; it felt like I was getting the recipe from a trusted friend. But I did a test run ahead of time just in case—I figured screwing up my good luck meal on New Year's Day would not bode well.
I’d never seen Hoppin’ John, and there’s no picture of the recipe in Sandra’s book, so as my trial batch was simmering, I did a Google search to see what the end product should look like. I found so many dishes that were so different from each other that nothing was remotely definitive. That meant my version was shaping up just fine.
This was my first experience cooking with a ham hock (I had no idea what it was, had to look it up), so I wasn’t sure how much ham I could expect to find. But I found some, it was super tender, and I added it to the mix. The only alterations I made were to use dry vermouth instead of sherry, add a sprig of fresh thyme instead of dried, and serve it with spinach instead of collards since spinach was what I had on hand. The only change I plan for next time is to hold back on the salt and add it in later to taste.
Despite my uncertainties, lucky for me the test run went off without a hitch and tasted great. Or, when you consider the work I put in, could it be that luck had nothing to do with it?
Hoppin’ John (Black-Eyed Peas) with Rice Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
1 large ham hock
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon salt
3 grinds fresh black pepper
1/4 cup dry sherry
Long-grain white rice
PREPARATION
Place the black-eyed peas in a large pot with enough water to cover by 3 inches, and let them soak overnight.
Place the ham hock in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and sherry. Simmer until the ham hocks are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the ham hock and set aside. Drain and rinse the peas and add to the ham liquid. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until the beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove the plug of ham from the hock, and crumble it into the beans. Discard the bone and fat of the hock. If the beans need more liquid, add just enough water to cover. If they’re too watery, turn the heat up and simmer, uncovered, until they’re the consistency you want.
Make enough rice for 6 to 8 people, according to the package directions. Serve Hoppin’ John over hot rice.
HOPPIN’ JOHN RECIPE
from “HARLEM REALLY COOKS: THE NOUVELLE SOUL FOOD OF HARLEM”
by Sandra Lawrence, Lake Isle Press, 2006
OTHER RECIPES FROM THIS BOOK
With ”Harlem Really Cooks,” author Sandra Lawrence offers a fresh take on traditional southern-style soul food. Chapters are arranged by the season, with a menu for every occasion, from a Sunday pot roast dinner to a Kwanzaa celebration. Or the homecoming meal Sandra would prepare for her niece when she visited home during college breaks, featuring Chicken Dzifa, Jamaican Peas and Rice, Tossed Iceberg Lettuce Salad with Vinaigrette, and a Mango Upside-Down Cake.
More than simply a collection of recipes, Harlem Really Cooks is also a portrait of Harlem, seen through the eyes of a life-long resident. Illustrations by renowned artist Benny Andrews.