As the New Year approaches and resolutions are carefully thought out we are reminded of New Years Day food traditions. One that sticks out especially in the coastal south is eating Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day which is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck.  Hoppin’ John is an  African dish brought to the South by slaves. Its reputation for prosperity is confirmed by its ingredients which includes mostly inexpensive things like cowpeas, bacon and rice.  The cowpeas are symbolic of pennies or coins.  A coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls, we recommend the later.

Rumor has it that the name came from a lame waiter who worked at a restaurant in Charleston. People called him Hopping John and the name stuck to the peppery pea and rice casserole he made and served. One tradition that is common is for  each person at the meal to leave three peas on their plate to assure that the New Year will be filled with luck, fortune and romance. Another tradition holds that counting the number of peas in a serving predicts the amount of luck (or wealth) that the diner will have in the coming year.

We have included our own recipe of Hoppin John from Charleston Cooks so enjoy and see you in 2012.

Hoppin John- 6-8 servings

4 cups water

1 cup dried cowpeas

1 bay leaf

2-3 slices thick cut bacon, diced

1/2 onion, peeled and diced

1 cup Carolina Aromatic rice

2 cups pork or chicken stock

Hot Sauce

Place water, cowpeas, and bay leaf in a small sauce pan. Bring water to a simmer, and cook cowpeas until they are tender but not mushy.

Strain cowpeas and set aside.

Place bacon in a sauce pan over medium heat until golden brown and crispy.

Add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent.

Add the rice to the pan and stir well to coat the rice with the bacon.

Add the stock to the pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let steam for about 5 more minutes.

Fold the cowpeas into the rice,

Season to taste with hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

Tip:

An easy way to make homemade pork stock is to boil a ham hock in about 1 quart of water for about one hour.  Skim off any fat and store in the refrigerator.