Hoppin' John

[Rufus]

When I get the chance, which isn't nearly often enough, in the great state of Louisiana I always try to find a big ol' plate of crawfish etoufee.
And yes, some's better'n others! Gotta check 'em all out. Tabasco is mandatory.

My favorite place in New Orleans is Bon Ton Cafe. They do great crawfish, to be sure, but my favorite is their bread pudding. It comes essentially afloat in a lovely bourbon/butter sauce that is amazing! Been in the same location, just off the Quarter, since the 1930's.

I’d forgotten about Bon Ton. Another worthwhile eatery.

[brothers]

Because of the Covid disaster, we haven't gone anywhere for at least a year, and we're really ready for something whenever the time comes, hopefully in the near future. Most likely, we'd make the trip through Texas and end up in southern Louisiana visiting relatives. That will be a perfect occasion for us to run down to NO for some R&R and great food. Thanks for the suggestions!

[Haln]

Delicious!

[Rufus]

Hoppin’ John has become one of our staples: we have it for dinner about once a week. Sometimes we substitute Naan bread for rice and black beans for black eyed peas. Even SWMBO raves about it.

[Rufus]

I don't know if the gentleman concerned was the same John who was Long Gone From Bowling Green, but I rather hope so. Maybe he made it to N.O. and started a restaurant that sold beans and rice. This dish is easy and delicious, with a more-ish mild cajun aftertaste that gets you going back to the pan for seconds. This version was made with veggie bacon, but would be better with the real thing, as veggie bacon is simply smoke flavouring and salt, and that's a pretty poor substitute for the proper item. Keeping the mixture overnight for a second go around next day actually improves the flavour, as so often with cooked mixtures. Here's what ya need:

4 rashers bacon, cut small ('lardons' for food snobs)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1/8 - 1/4 tsp powdered garlic (anyone who makes garlic-ginger paste for curries will know what to substitute here!)
2 cups dry black-eyed peas soaked overnight, or 1 can cooked
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried thyme
1 heaped tsp cajun seasoning ( ie ground cumin/coriander/paprika in equal parts)
Hot sauce to taste
1 cup white rice
2 scallions. chopped or a couple TBSP chopped chives for garnish

Now the easy part! Fry the bacon (I use half and half olive oil and butter) then add celery, onion and peppers. When beginning to brown, add garlic, and fry 1-2 minutes more. Add soaked black eyed peas, bay leaves, thyme, cajun seasoning and 4 cups water. Cover and cook till peas soft, which takes around 1½ hours. If using canned black eyed peas, drain them, add to the fried ingredients along with bay leaves, thyme, cajun seasoning and NO water. Just heat them through if going the canned way. The dish should have just a little heat. I don't know about your fridge, but I have a shelf of hot sauces. I chose Louisiana Joe's Sauce for this. It has a green and fruity taste, rather like fermented raisins or muscatelle grapes and isn't very hot at all. I used a couple of teaspoons. For those who prefer fiery, destructive heat, use a few drops of your favourite sauce, but don't go wild. This should be beans, peppers, celery, thyme, cajun on rice. Not a challenge to see if you can eat it without fainting.
Cook the rice, serve mixture on top and garnish with scallions or chives.

Next day: get leftovers out of fridge and place on low heat. Add some more green and red pepper, and 2-3 handfuls fresh spinach. Maybe ½ tsp of the cajun seasoning mixture and a few splashes of your hot sauce. I threw in a few leftover okara balls too and they cooked like dumplings. Serve on rice the same way. Even better than the first night!

Chris, we’ve been making this recipe since you posted it. It’s a particular favourite of my wife, which greatly surprises me; generally, she’s not a big fan of stew-like meals, although I am. We stuck pretty close to your recipe except we’ve increased the bacon to 6 rashers and the Cajun Spice to 2 teaspoons, doubled the garlic and add 2 tps of Frank’s Hot Sauce Extra Hot ( nobody faints). As well, we don’t serve it with rice, we have naan bread instead. We’ve reviewed other recipes, but both of us agree that yours is the best. Guess what’s for dinner tonight Hoppin’John.

[drmoss_ca]

Glad to hear it! I shall have to revisit it myself.

Chris