First Day Hopping John Recipe

Hopping John Recipe Directions

Wash and sort the beans.

Place beans into large stock pot.
Cover with water. Bring beans to a boil over high heat.
Cover and turn off the heat. Let the beans set for 2 hours. Plenty of time to go play hopping John.
In the meantime, cook the bacon in large skillet until crisp.
Remove from fat with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.
Drain off all the fat except about 1 tablespoon.
Cook the onions in the fat until soft.
Add the cooked onions to the pot with the peas and water.
Add the bay leaf.
Cut the salt pork into small pieces and add to the peas.
Bring first day hopping John mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until peas are tender, about 1 ½ hours.
Remove the cover, add the salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes.
To serve hopping john, spoon cooked rice into bowl.
Next, top with cooked peas and garnish with the crumbled bacon.

Hopping John Recipe: serves 6 to 8