Bacon. Bacon in all of it's smoky, salty, fatty goodness features heavily in peasant foods of all seasons and sorts, but it truly comes into it's own during the cold dark winter months. I mean, bacon and eggs for breakfast, bacon ice cream. No, i've never tried that, but….. digression again.
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| okay, it's the cassoulet from Christmas Eve |
Some time during this past summer, Mungo and i started regularly sharing Sunday suppers with our new live aboard friends, Chris and Shannon. We both adore cooking for other people, sharing the bounty of the garden and grocery with friends is one of the best things. Good food, good friends, good conversation, and of course, good wine, well of course! Now, especially since the weather has turned, well, winter-like, Sunday supper is one of the few social occasions here at the marina. I mean, who really wants to hang out, outside, under the Drinking Tree when its 20 degrees out? Or one the boat, most of which are on the hard, so social time is at a premium. That's okay, summer is over, the parties are done and it is after all time to rest, recuperate and recharge. Spring is just around the corner, and the wheel turns.
But back to bacon. We shared the first Sunday supper of the year this weekend. Everyone kind of looked at me as if i was from Mars when i announced the menu; Black-eyed peas and greens. After all, Mungo and Chris are both Southern boys, and Shannon, well, she's from Texas. Shouldn't they all like Hoppin' John? Besides, it's traditional good luck food for New Years. I admit, I've never really had Hoppin' John that i really liked, but that was not going to stop me. The concept is sound, and i figured that i could do this. It's simply a matter of great ingredients, thoughtful spicing, attentive cooking, and of course bacon. Do you sense a theme here?
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| No tabby cat was added to the Hoppin' John |
I don't think that i really did anything that different from what cooks all over the south have done for many years, except: pretty much cook everything separately. My biggest complaint about traditionally done Hoppin' John is the throw it all into the pot and cook it altogether nature of the dish. The bacon becomes limp, merely smoky tasting pieces of fat and the overall taste is muddled and earthy. Earthy not in a good way. Okay, like making a great ratatouille the way i prepared the black-eyed peas did take a little more effort.
So, to make great Hoppin' John, start by frying the bacon until it is crisp, at least one piece per person you're serving, and of course one for the pot, oops, that's for the cook and her helper. Remove and drain, in the rendered bacon fat brown whatever other pork product you might be using, think somewhere in the half pound amount; i particularly like using either fresh ham hocks (not smoked) or cubed pork shoulder. Brown it well, don't be fussy, don't keep turning it. You want it to be really nice and crispy brown. Set a timer if you have to. Aim for about 4 minutes on the first side, maybe 3 on the second. Don't trim the fat, you'll get rid of it later. Take the meat out, drain most of the rendered fat out. Please don't throw it away, put it in a clean glass jar and save.
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| No, no tree fungus either, but it's pretty |
Turn the heat down to about medium and throw in the onions, a bunch, at least two, coarsely chopped or sliced, and sauté until soft, add bunches of chopped garlic, don't be shy, everyone will be eating it after all. Add your seasonings now, lots of fresh ground black pepper, about a tsp of whole cumin seeds, a bay leaf, and either a seeded and chopped jalapeño pepper, or dried chili flakes to taste. Add back the pork, not bacon, and cover with a low sodium stock, feel free to use either chicken(traditional) or beef. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for at least an hour. Longer is okay. Keep an eye on your stock levels and add as needed. Go ahead and throw in a whole carrot and celery when you add the meat, you can fish it out later, and it will add a nice, sweet sort of layer to the taste. When your meat is tender fish out the ham hocks and let them cool enough to handle, take out and discard the carrot and celery now to. Then add your black-eyed peas. Either pre-cooked dried ones, or frozen, never canned. I used two one pound bags of frozen peas, and cooked them for about a half hour with the rest of the ingredients except the bacon. We'll get to that, soon i promise. When the peas are nice and done, creamy, but not mush,y you are ready for the finishing touches. I like to take a couple of cups of the peas and puree them(stick blenders are awesome). Check your seasoning. It is unlikely that you will need salt, but who knows. Remember, the bacon isn't in there yet! Just before you are ready to serve crumble up the bacon and finally stir it in. One last check on seasoning, does it need a little more sharpness? Add a splash of pepper vinegar. Need just a touch of sweetness? Grate a touch of fresh nutmeg into it. Garnish with some fresh parsley, serve and wait for the compliments and good luck to roll in. I served five people with this, along with greens. People were looking for more, always a good sign.
enjoy
Morgainne
