It's a great day fer "Hopin John"....

Well Sir....now that the cold weather done set in here un upstate NY, I decided I'd make up a big batch of Hopin John fer the wife and myself......

It's a spicey southern dish (Soul Food) with good ol Black-eyed Pea's, rice and various meats...so here tis....

Hoppin John Recipee

Ingredients:
• 1/2 pound bacon, sliced into small bits, cooked and well-drained
• 1 pound Andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices, cooked and well drained (or substitute hot Cajun sausage, or mild Polish sausage)
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups chopped red & green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pound black eyed peas
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown or white rice
• 2 quarts+2 cups stock or water (add more water if needed)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper (more if you like it hot)
• 3 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon savory
• 1 teaspoon filé or parsley
• 3 bay leaves

Cook and drain the meats, reserving 3-4 Tablespoons of Bacon grease for Saute'n....

Mix all the spices into one bowl.

In a Dutch oven (Cast Iron if'n ya got one), add three or 4 tablespoons of bacon grease or vegetable oil. Add the onion, pepper, celery, garlic, black eyed peas and half of the spice mixture and fry for about 10 minutes.

Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot frequently. Add the meats, the rest of the spice mixture and 2 quarts of stock or water. Cover and simmer over low heat for one hour or until peas are done.

Add the rice and 2 cups stock or water and simmer for 20-30 minutes. The liquid should be absorbed so the dish is not watery.