Cool Hand Luck 2011 (Hoppin' John)

You see, I'm on the "Cs" and we're at the end of the year.  So for Cool Luck in 2011, you must eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Eve.  I used to cook black-eyed peas in this tiny pressure cooker on the stove.  That was back in the 70s when I was a new wife.  I just made stuff up as I went along.   If you have a pressure cooker, make sure the knob on top rocks in a 2/2 rhythm, medium tempo.  Good for dancing.

So to your peas, wash, sort, and throw in pressure cooker.  (The package will tell you proportions.)  Add water, bay leaf, and a ham hock.  Cook about an hour--I think.  Serve with greens.  We never ate this at home growing up.  I must have gotten it out of a cookbook--or maybe from my hubby's Grandma Halter.

Here's the honest to God Cool Hand Luck 2011 recipe.  (Eat New Year's Eve.)

Hoppin' John

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large ham hock

1 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed

1 quart chicken stock

Bay leaf

1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves

Directions:

Heat oil in a large soup pot, add the ham hock and sear on all sides for 4 minutes. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic, cook for 4 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the peas are creamy and tender, stir occasionally. If the liquid evaporates, add more water or stock. Adjust seasonings, and garnish with green onions. Serve over rice.

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, www.foodnetwork.com