Hoppin John, Good Luck or Poor Health?
Hoppin John is a traditional New Years recipe that is said to bring good luck for the new year. Although with the ingredients found in the recipe that SouthBendTribune.com offers from Barbara Joseph, I frankly don’t recommend it! I would recommend avoiding the meat and sugar, and opting for a much lighter and healthier recipe to start your New Years off on the right foot.
1 ham hock, smoked turkey wing, turkey neck OR turkey leg
1 1-pound bag of black-eyed peas, picked over and rinsed
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon onion powder, or to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 bag frozen okra, cut or whole, or fresh okra (optional)
In a pot, cover meat with enough water to cover by an inch or so and bring to a boil over high heat. Allow meat to boil about 15 minutes. Add peas to pot, adding extra water to cover peas if needed. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until softened (but not mushy), about 45 minutes, adding water as necessary.
Add sugar and spices near the end of the simmer, in the last 10 minutes or so. Add okra, if using, 7 minutes before the end of the cooking.
Serve over rice with cornbread on the side.
good luck hoppin john new year
