Instant Pot Hoppin John

I believe that every year I have some type of Hoppin John recipe on here...and in the tradition of my New years here is another one...Instant Pot Hoppin John..

Use your instant pot to make a Hoppin' John dish that is so hearty and flavorful, the promise of luck when eaten on New Years is merely an added bonus. This old Southern tradition says that each person should eat one pea per year for good luck and posterity. Fix this and you've got your whole crew covered with this fast, delicious go-to recipe for the whole year...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
• 1 (1-lb.) ham hock
• 1 onion, halved
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 ribs of celery, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1 bunch green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS: 

Step 1

Place black-eyed peas, ham hock, halved onion, garlic, and bay leaves with 5 cups of water in an Instant Pot. Turn on the pot’s pressure cooker setting, according to package instructions. Cook, covered, until beans are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 2

Drain the peas, saving liquid in a bowl. Discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Pull meat off of ham hock. Shred and reserve meat; discard bone.

Step 3

Wipe out the pot and turn on the sauté setting. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1 cup reserved bean liquid to pot; bring to a boil.

Step 4

Change heat to rice setting, stir in the rice; cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.

Step 5

Stir in the green onions, parsley, black-eyed peas, and shredded ham; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Adjust the consistency with additional reserved bean liquid if needed. The Hoppin’ John should be moist, but not soupy.

There you have it...Enjoy!  Eat Well My friends!