I made this recipe from Southern Living.com last night.
So good on a chilly Fall day.
I did make a couple of changes. Didn't use the bacon but did use bacon grease,
Made it in my crockpot and added the rice about an hour and a half from the end of cooking time, also added diced ham at the same time. Did not have the Carolina Gold Rice so I used what I had on hand. My black-eyed peas were dried and soaked for six hours. I also halved the recipe.
Hoppin' John
Ingredients
6 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
4 celery stalks, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, chopped (about 1 Tbsp.)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
8 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
4 cups fresh or frozen black-eyed peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups uncooked Carolina Gold rice
Fresh scallions, sliced
Directions
Cook vegetables and peas:
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until starting to crisp, about 10 minutes.
Add celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, black pepper, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 8 minutes.
Add broth and black-eyed peas, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until peas are tender, about 40 minutes.
Drain pea mixture, reserving cooking liquid. Return pea mixture and 1 cup of the cooking liquid to Dutch oven. Cover to keep warm; set aside.
Cook rice:
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add rice and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until rice is tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
Fluff rice with a fork, and gently stir into pea mixture in Dutch oven.
Stir in remaining cooking liquid, 1⁄4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle servings with sliced fresh scallions.
Photos by: STACY K. ALLEN, FOOD STYLIST: RUTH BLACKBURN, PROP STYLIST: CHRISTINA DAL
