When we think about Jewish immigration to the United States, many of us focus on New York and other East Coast cities, which absorbed waves of immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s. But as early as the 17th century, the American South became home for Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews looking for places to settle. They brought with them culinary traditions that evolved as homemakers worked side by side with African American cooks. It's a unique history documented as a series of essays by Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey in their book, Kugels & Collards.
Hoppin' John served with collard greens and brisket or fried chicken is a Southern Rosh Hashanah mashup. Photo by Forrest Clonts.
Lyssa's Hoppin' John
Serves 12-16
Hoppin’ John should be served with collards and can accompany turkey, brisket, or fried chicken. You may want to add bacon, smoked meat, sausage, or flanken. To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the meat and use vegetable broth.
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh or frozen black-eyed peas, red peas, or field peas
- 11⁄2 cups uncooked Carolina Gold Rice
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- Kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
- Hot sauce to taste
Instructions
-
Soak the fresh peas overnight. Drain. Put the peas in a saucepan, give a heavy shake of salt, and cover with 5 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a good boil.
-
Turn the heat down to medium low. Simmer for about 40 minutes (about 20 minutes if using frozen peas). Drain the liquid once it has cooked.
-
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and sauté the rice until toasted. Add 3 cups of chicken broth and a heavy shake of salt and bring to a boil.
-
Turn the heat down to medium low. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Cover the bottom of a large skillet with low sides with olive oil. Add the onions, and cook until caramelized, soft, and brown. Once the onions are cooked, add the rice and peas to the skillet of onions.
-
Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a few drops of hot sauce, and stir. Serve warm. Does not freeze well, but leftovers only get better!
The authors at New Year's Day lunch on Fishing Creek, Edisto Island, South Carolina, 2019. Photo by Rachel Barnett.
"Kugels & Collards" collects stories and recipes from Jewish cooks living in South Carolina. Photo courtesy of the University of South Carolina Press.
