Slow Cooker Lucky Hoppin’ John

Without a doubt slow cooker food is comfort food. The flavors get hours to develop and becomes something more than the sum of it’s parts. This dish is something more than that, it has history too. A dark history going back to the days of slavery. But, it is also a symbolic dish, when eaten on new years day, it is said to bring luck, and the hope of a prosperous year ahead. And, that is why I call it slow cooker lucky Hoppin’ John, and that’s what this post is about.

Hoppin’ john is essentially a rice and bean dish from South Carolina. It was mentioned in a cook book from the early 19th century. However it can trace it’s roots back to Africa where similar dishes were prepared. Also rice and beans was the staple food fed on the slave ships crossing the Atlantic. Despite this dark history, it has subsequently become a dish, that when eaten on New Years, offers the prospect of a prosperous year ahead.

The individual ingredients in the dish each have a part to play in representing good things to come. Black eyed peas, are considered lucky. A couple of stories about that, both dating back to the civil war. The Union army destroyed the food supplies of the Confederates, except the black eyed peas and salted pork because they were considered unfit for human consumption. Both of those ingredients are in Hoppin’ John. Those living in the south considered themselves lucky to be left some food.

The other, is because black eyed peas were a staple food for the enslaved, it became symbolic that when slavery was abolished by the Emancipation Proclamation issued January 1 1863, black eyed peas could be eaten in freedom. I think a little from both those stories plays a part in the symbolism of the dish.

There is more. Collard greens are traditionally served with Hoppin’ John and because they are green, and green is the color of money, it represents wealth. Also, cornbread is traditionally served on the side, and cornbread is gold, which also represents wealth. As you can see the dish has a dark history, yet also represents an optimistic future.

Slow cooker lucky Hoppin’ John is a slow cooker bean stew, black eyed peas, mirepoix, some meat, herbs and a lot of time. Sow cookers are available online and not that expensive. However, before getting into the details of putting this dish together, there are options. It all comes down to the stock. I believe real depth of flavor involves time, and more than one step. Although in the recipe card I use chicken stock and cubed ham, which works fine. There is an alternative, make some ham hock stock, utilize the stock as the liquid portion and the meat from the ham hocks to replace the cubed ham I mention in the recipe. It turns making slow cooker lucky Hoppin’ Johns into a two step process, but it is worth it.

There are also options with the black eyed peas. The recipe calls for dried black eyed peas soaked over night. This can be substituted for 3 15oz cans of black eyed peas rinsed, or, 2 bags of frozen black eyed peas. Now on to the preparation. The night before, put the contents of a 1lb bag of dried black eyed peas in a bowl big enough to cover with about 2″ water, cover with some saran wrap and leave over night. Rinse the soaked beans and put in the slow cooker.

Now for the vegetables. A mirepoix, in this case, celery, onions, peppers and garlic, diced. They can go in raw. Next the protein, the ham and and andouille sausage. I like andouille sausage, for it’s flavor, but also brings a little heat to the dish. Sauté the sausage briefly before cutting into 1″ lengths on the bias, this will help the sausage to retain it’s shape. Deglaze the pan with some stock and add to slow cooker. Now for the spices. Don’t need to add much, between the ham and andouille, there’s a lot going on. A bay leaf, some thyme and a sprinkle of ground red pepper flakes. Add the can of diced tomatoes, and, cover everything with stock by about 1″, the beans will swell some more. Turn the slow cooker on low, and walk away for 8 hrs.

That, is slow cooker lucky Hoppin’ John. But, there’s more, cook up some southern style collard greens to go with, that’s the green portion, get some cornbread, that’s the gold, and cook some rice to serve the slow cooker lucky Hoppin’ John over. Enjoy your dinner and hopefully you will have a prosperous year, Thank You for reading this post