That's Pretty Low

     For Tuesday's evening meal I focused my attention back to this side of the Atlantic and did some Low Country Cooking.  I attempted to prepare some traditional Carolina food, beginning first with some breaded pork chops.  Some recipes prefer to call them smothered and pan fry the chops with gravy and diced potatoes.  Instead of going that route I breaded them in a mixture of grated Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, corn meal and some paprika.  Then I baked them in the oven.
     But the Low Country main event was the Hoppin' John that I cooked as a side dish for the meal.  It is traditionally the feast served on New Year's Day to bring luck for the coming year, the Southern equivalent of the Pennsylvania Dutch New Year's Day good luck meal of pork and sauerkraut.  Here's the recipe for Hoppin John:

1 1/2 cups of dried black eyed peas
6 strips of bacon, or diced ham
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups cooked rice
salt & pepper to taste
dash of hot sauce
1/2 cup minded green onions, including tops

Rinse peas and pick them over.  Cover with cold water; add 1 Tbsp salt and let stand overnight.  Drain peas, discarding water, and place in a 6-8 quart stock pot.  In a cast iron skillet, saute bacon until crisp; add it to peas, reserving the drippings.  Add onion, a little salt and 2 cups of water.  Bring just to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until peas are tender, about 20 minutes.  A small amount of the cooking liquid should remain; if liquid is absorbed too quickly, add fresh water by 1/4 cups.  When peas are tender, add cooked rice to pot.  Stir in 2 Tbsp of the reserved bacon drippings, salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.  Cover and simmer about 15 minutes longer so flavors combine and rice absorbed some of the remaining cooking liquid.   Makes 6-7 servings

     There are lots of great Low Country meals you can try.  Some of my favorites include: Frogmore Stew, St. Simon's Island Shrimp Bog, and Seafood Muddle.  You can find these and other recipes that feature Low Country Cooking by checking this website:  Chef Rick's Southern Cooking. 
  And do you know the female counterpart to Hoppin' John?  Well, of course it's Limpin' Susan!  Ask Chef Rick how to cook that one up.