A rice-forward Hoppin’ John built for New Year’s Day—patiently cooked, gently finished, and meant to be shared with people you want to carry into the year with you.
Hoppin’ John shows up every New Year for a reason.
Black-eyed peas for luck.
Rice for abundance.
Pork for momentum.
Tradition gives the dish its meaning. Technique gives it its staying power.
This version is deliberate and rice-forward. It isn’t a soupy bean stew. At its core, this is a rice dish, gently enriched with tender black-eyed peas, smoky pork, and just enough of their cooking liquid to bring everything together. Carolina Gold rice matters here. It absorbs flavor without collapsing, which is exactly what this dish asks of it.
My wife calls it Papa John’s.
She’s joking. The dish is not.
A family tradition. That final spoonful of reserved bean broth, a hit of Crystal hot sauce, and fresh scallions is the finishing flourish — simple, soulful, and just a little bit lucky.
Ingredients
For the Beans
8 oz bacon, diced
12 oz beef kielbasa sausage, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, brown the bacon and kielbasa together until deeply browned and well rendered. Don’t rush this. You’re building the foundation.
Bacon and sausage rendered low and slow — deep browning, crackly edges, and the fat that will carry the rest of the dish.
2. Build the Flavor Base
Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until fully softened and deeply wilted, scraping up the fond as you go.
Add the garlic and stir just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Cook the Beans
Add the black-eyed peas, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, cayenne, and a light pinch of salt.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. During the first ten minutes, skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
As the beans simmer, a light foam rises to the surface — skim it away for a cleaner, clearer broth while keeping all the flavor beneath.
After skimming, the broth should look glossy and clean
Simmer uncovered for 40–60 minutes, until the beans are fully tender but still intact.
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The beans will tell you when they’re done.
When the broth thickens naturally, you’re there.
As the beans finish cooking, their natural starch thickens the broth on its own — a clear sign they’re done: creamy, cohesive, and deeply flavorful without any added thickeners.
4. Start the Rice (While the Beans Finish)
While the beans simmer, rinse the Carolina Gold rice in cold water nine times, until the water runs clear.
Soak the rice in 2 cups water for 30 minutes.
This overlap matters. The rice should be ready to cook just as the beans finish.
5. Drain the Beans and Reserve the Broth
Once the beans are fully cooked, drain them through a colander and reserve the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaves.
Set the beans aside.
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Save the bean broth. Always.
This is the soul of the dish.
Drain the beans in a colander set over a bowl to catch the broth. Save that liquid gold — it’ll be used later to fortify the rice and finish each serving with extra depth and luck.
6. Cook the Rice
After soaking, add 2 cups of the reserved black-eyed pea broth and the soaking water to a pot.
Bring the liquid to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the soaked rice and stir gently with a knife. Season with salt.
Bring back to a boil, then cover and reduce to a very low simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, place the pot on the lowest heat possible, elevating it slightly above the flame (I use egg rings). Cook covered for another 10 minutes.
Flame tamers at work — gentle, even heat so the rice cooks steadily without scorching. Low and patient beats fast and burned every time.
Turn off the heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
Turn into a large bowl and fluff gently with a fork
7. Combine
Add the drained black-eyed pea mixture to the fluffed rice.
Fold gently. Add small splashes of reserved broth only if needed. The goal is moisture and cohesion — never soup.
Serving & Finishing
Spoon the Hoppin’ John into individual bowls.
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Finish like pasta, not like rice.
Each bowl gets its own careful flourish.
Finish each portion with a small spoonful of the reserved black-eyed pea broth — not enough to loosen the rice, just enough to moisten it and add a final layer of flavor.
This follows the same principle as finishing pasta. The flourish happens at the bowl, not in the pot.
Garnish with sliced scallions and serve Crystal hot sauce at the table.
A New Year’s Note
This is a dish about restraint as much as abundance.
You cook patiently.
You finish gently.
You serve deliberately.
Share it with people you want to carry into the year with you.
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