# ISO TNT Hoppin' John Recipe



## vitauta (Dec 30, 2011)

i have been searching the internet for a hoppin' john recipe.  i even looked at one by paula deen!:smile reviews of her recipe described her dish as bland, boring and disappointing, however.  all i'm looking for is a good  tnt hoppin' john recipe which uses both bacon and ham hocks.  with the right recipe i just know i'm gonna love it--and 2012 will be properly launched!


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## vitauta (Dec 30, 2011)

now i see that america's test kitchen has a hoppin' john recipe that can be prepared in just one hour, subbing boneless ham for ham hocks, and usig frozen black-eyed peas.  could browned and simmered boneless ham provide the deep smokey flavor that is rendered by the ham hocks (in four hours)?  i must admit i'm sorely tempted.  atk usually gets it right....


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## Addie (Dec 30, 2011)

vitauta said:


> now i see that america's test kitchen has a hoppin' john recipe that can be prepared in just one hour, subbing boneless ham for ham hocks, and usig frozen black-eyed peas. could browned and simmered boneless ham provide the deep smokey flavor that is rendered by the ham hocks (in four hours)? i must admit i'm sorely tempted. atk usually gets it right....


 
Hoppin John is such a Southern recipe. Smoked ham hocks are an integral part of the recipe. It really needs that smokey flavoring. i remember my next door neighbor in Texas made it, and she put onions and seasonings along with a large piece of salt pork and the ham hocks in it. Not bad tasting and it did have some flavor. ATK is located and filmed in Vermont. A long way from the south. The palates of northerners is so different from the south.


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## vitauta (Dec 30, 2011)

i am always entertained and often informed by your posts, addie.  although my palate is mostly northern influenced and based, i must  agree with you about the smoked ham hocks.  i believe as you state that the smoked ham hocks are integral to this southern hoppin john recipe.  having used both fresh and frozen bep in the past, i do think i can safely get away with the frozen product for this recipe.  now i'm wondering if i can get away with adding some greens to the hoppin dish--i'm thinking kale, turnip or mustard greens--without compromising its original concept and chemistry....


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 30, 2011)

I use the frozen BEP's and cook them with ham chunks, chopped onion and red pepper flakes.  I cook it quite a bit longer than it states on the package.  About 15 or 20 minutes before I pronounce it done I add enough rice to take up the water in the pan.  I like it on the dry side.  I serve it with greens cooked with additional scraps of ham but I have never cooked them together.  This is one of the recipes that is very personal and each cook will give you a slightly different way of doing it.


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## Addie (Dec 30, 2011)

vitauta said:


> i am always entertained and often informed by your posts, addie. although my palate is mostly northern influenced and based, i must agree with you about the smoked ham hocks. i believe as you state that the smoked ham hocks are integral to this southern hoppin john recipe. having used both fresh and frozen bep in the past, i do think i can safely get away with the frozen product for this recipe. now i'm wondering if i can get away with adding some greens to the hoppin dish--i'm thinking kale, turnip or mustard greens--without compromising its original concept and chemistry....


 
I don't see why not. Those greens are as southern as you can get. Although kale is in big use here up north more so than the other two.


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## Addie (Dec 30, 2011)

Aunt Bea said:


> I use the frozen BEP's and cook them with ham chunks, chopped onion and red pepper flakes. I cook it quite a bit longer than it states on the package. About 15 or 20 minutes before I pronounce it done I add enough rice to take up the water in the pan. I like it on the dry side. I serve it with greens cooked with additional scraps of ham but I have never cooked them together. This is one of the recipes that is very personal and each cook will give you a slightly different way of doing it.


 
I like the idea of the red pepper flakes.


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## vitauta (Dec 30, 2011)

i like the heat of some pepper flakes too.  i still don't have a hoppin john recipe, but can probably patch one together from the various hj recipes i came across online during my search.  is chopped celery a traditional ingredient?  and how about seasonings?  thyme?  

i think i will be using both ham hocks and ham chunks.  i like to go heavy with meats, particularly in casseroles, so there can be a taste of meat with every bite....


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## Addie (Dec 30, 2011)

vitauta said:


> i like the heat of some pepper flakes too. i still don't have a hoppin john recipe, but can probably patch one together from the various hj recipes i came across online during my search. is chopped celery a traditional ingredient? and how about seasonings? thyme?
> 
> i think i will be using both ham hocks and ham chunks. i like to go heavy with meats, particularly in casseroles, so there can be a taste of meat with every bite....


 
HJ is such a bland tasting item, that almst any seasoning would seem like a good idea. The smokiness of the ham hocks is not strong enough to carry the dish. But without it, you would miss it. I have never heard if celery in HJ. But then it is your recipe, so you can put anything you want to in it. Why not just put it in while the beans are cooking for the flavor and remove before adding the rice. The rice along with the beans will absorb the flavor of the celery.


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## vitauta (Dec 30, 2011)

good idea, addie.  maybe even celery seed and/or flakes instead of celery ribs....


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## Addie (Dec 30, 2011)

vitauta said:


> good idea, addie. maybe even celery seed and/or flakes instead of celery ribs....


 
The celery seed has a stronger flavor that the stalk of celery. I have ground celery seed and I use a scant of it in tuna or egg salad.


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## letscook (Dec 30, 2011)

I was watching a show on ABC called  THE CHEW and they did a hoppin john with ham hocks in a crock pot and looked very good  
heres the link to it
Wendy Williams' Hoppin John - the chew - ABC.com


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## Addie (Dec 30, 2011)

One thing you can do to make the peas cook softer is to soak them for a couple of hours. They will swell up as they absorb the water. Unless you like that hard center core.


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