À la Carte Dining

hoppin’ into the new year

Hoppin' John is a meal typically eaten on New Year's Day and is said to bring good luck and prosperity in the year ahead. Many of us have heard of it, but what is it? And what is the story behind it? Hoppin' John originated in Charleston, South Carolina; however, it has become a popular dish enjoyed by many nationwide. If you eat leftover Hoppin' John the day after New Year's Day, then the name changes to Skippin' Jenny since one demonstrates their frugality determination. Eating a bowl of Skippin' Jenny is believed to even better your chances for a prosperous new year! The earliest recorded recipe for Hoppin' John can be traced to the cookbook The Carolina Housewife written by Charlestonian Sarah Rutledge in 1847. The original recipe called for one pound of bacon, one pint of peas, and one pint of rice cooked in a single pot. While early versions contained red peas or cowpeas, black-eyed peas are most commonly used. Some are cooked all in one pot and some are cooked on their own then ladled over the rice (as in BCC's Assistant Restaurant Chef Daniel Nosek's favorite recipe listed below). Most notably, in Chef Daniel's recipe, he uses Carolina Gold Rice, which is cooked to al dente, dried back out in the oven, then butter is added, gravy made from the black-eyed peas and the pea mixture are then spooned over the rice. However it's made or served, Hoppin' John is always a hit for any New Year's Day celebration! ◆

HOPPIN’ JOHN RECIPE

FROM THE KITCHEN OF ASSISTANT RESTAURANT CHEF DANIEL NOSEK

INGREDIENTS

2 quarts Chicken Stock 1 cup Dried Black-Eyed Peas 11/2 cups Onion (diced) 1 cup Carrots (diced) 11/2 cups Celery (diced) 2 cloves Garlic (minced) 1 Bay Leaf 10 sprigs Thyme 1 Jalapeño (minced) 2 pinches Kosher Salt 4 cups Water 1 tbsp Cider Vinegar (to taste) 2 tbsp Scallions (thinly sliced) 1 tsp Kosher Salt 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper 1 cup Carolina Gold Rice 1 tbsp Unsalted butter 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter (cubed) DIRECTIONS

1. Soak peas in a pot of water in fridge overnight 2. Bring stock to simmer in small pot 3. Drain peas and add to stock along with the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, jalapeño, and salt. Cook peas, partially covered over low heat until soft (~1 hr). Season to taste with salt 4. Drain peas and reserve cooking liquid. Measure 1 cup of peas and 2 cups of liquid for gravy. Return remaining peas and liquid to pot to keep warm 5. Bring water, salt, and cayenne pepper to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium, add rice, stir once and bring to simmer. Simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the rice is al dente (~15 minutes) 6. Drain rice in a sieve and rinse with cold water. Spread the rice on a rimmed baking sheet and dry the rice in a 300° oven, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.

Scatter the butter evenly over the rice and continue to dry it, stirring every few minutes for about 5 minutes. All excess moisture should have evaporated and the grains should be dry 7. GRAVY: Put 1 cup of peas, 2 cups of cooking liquid, and butter into a blender and blend until smooth. Add vinegar to taste 8. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peas to a large serving bowl, add rice and carefully toss. Pour gravy over top and garnish with scallions