Hoppin’ John
A dish that dates back to 1847 with African, French and Caribbean roots. Here it’s made with ham hock, but you could omit the meat all together to make it veggie. Either way, it’s simple and delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 300g/10½oz cooked and shredded ham hock or 300g/10½oz back bacon, cut into lardons
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 3 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken or vegetable stock
- 400g/14oz tin black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed
- 225g/8oz long grain rice
- 2 tbsp Creole or all-purpose seasoning
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- handful flatleaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- bunch spring onions, finely chopped
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
If you're using bacon, add to the pan and fry until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Add the onion, peppers, celery, garlic, chilli flakes, bay leaves, Creole seasoning, salt and pepper to the pan and and sauté on a low to medium heat until softened.
Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Add the rice, beans and ham hock (or bacon, if using) and stir well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed. If you need a little more liquid, just add some hot water. The consistency should be a little like a risotto, but not as loose.
Divide between serving bowls, sprinkle with the parsley and spring onions, and serve.