BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. — Traditional hoppin’ John is a simple one-pot dish made with dried peas, pork and rice. The first written recipes appeared in Southern cookbooks in the 1840s, though it was likely made long before that by enslaved people in the South.
The relatively vague history of the dish carries over to its name: Some say there was a man named John with a limp who sold peas and rice on the streets of Charleston, while others say it’s a reference to hungry children who hopped around the table in anticipation of the dish. It’s also possible the name is a butchering of the French term for dried peas, pois pigeons.
Like so many ancient recipes, it’s been reimagined time and time again, though most traditionalists are adamant that the ham hock is a nonnegotiable ingredient and it’s made with dried — not canned — black-eyed peas that are soaked overnight. Hoppin’ John is a staple at most Southern tables on New Year’s Day, and it’s thought to bring luck and good fortune for the rest of the year (another piece of mythology for which there is little formal rationale or history).
For Mark Henegan, a native of South Africa and owner of the Bush Farmhouse in Black Mountain, North Carolina, it’s also a dish that signifies togetherness.
“I always relate to it as the poor man’s dish, something that could feed the masses like you would do around the new year,” he said. “It’s hearty and it’s fulfilling.”
Henegan’s hoppin’ John is a deeply South African reimagining that he threw together on New Year’s Day 2024. It was a last-minute addition to the menu on one of the restaurant’s busiest days of the year, and Henegan didn’t get the ham hock in time for lunch.
“I don’t think we had time to go get all the ingredients that we needed,” he said. “So we just thought, let’s make our own.”
Henegan has carved out a little South African corner at his restaurant, a vine-covered farmhouse originally built in 1912. The walls are adorned with Nelson Mandela posters and large photographs of African animals like lions, zebras and giraffes, and dried bunches of lavender hang from the ceiling.
In the garden of his restaurant, a gated space houses a small menagerie of happy, healthy animals, mostly rescued, including chickens of all ages, several bright yellow baby chicks and two enormous pot-bellied pigs.
The farmhouse served as a cafe and produce market before Henegan discovered it.
“I walked down the street and I saw it was closing and I was like, this is meant to be,” he said.
It reminded Henegan of his grandmother’s farmhouse in Benoni, South Africa, outside of Johannesburg, where he grew up. Henegan moved to New York City in 1999 and opened Madiba, a critically acclaimed South African restaurant in Brooklyn that fed the likes of Nelson Mandela and Paul Simon. In the early 2000s, Henegan and his family started splitting their time between Asheville, North Carolina, and New York. In 2018, Henegan settled in Black Mountain and in 2021 he opened the Bush Farmhouse.
Credit: Grace Dickinson
Credit: Grace Dickinson
Henegan’s hoppin’ John came together easily because it’s a combination of three staple side dishes on the Bush Farmhouse menu: morogo (a Setswana term for a variety of leafy green vegetables — Henegan uses kale in this dish), saffron rice, and umngqusho, a rich blend of pinto beans and white hominy. It’s finished with a simple hot pepper paste and a drizzle of good olive oil.
“The umngqusho is a staple diet of the Xhosa tribe, which is the tribe Nelson Mandela is from,” Henegan said. “When he came out of prison, all these chefs had lined up for him to cook for him, but all he wanted was the umngqusho.”
Henegan’s hoppin’ John can easily be served as a side dish along with meat, though it’s hearty and protein-rich enough to be a main dish, too. Henegan explained that South Africans might eat the umngqusho with oxtail for a celebration, but meat is more of a luxury than a staple in his native land.
“The starch is always the main ingredient and then the meat is secondary,” he said. “In America, it’s like the meat is the main ingredient and the starch is secondary. Over here it’s steak and potatoes, over there it’s potatoes and steak.”
Henegan’s recipe reflects the diverse culinary heritage of South Africa.
“The basmati rice represents the Indian culture, and the morogo is the Zulu culture, the umngqusho is Xhosa, and the hot pepper sauce is more like a Portuguese influence,” he said. “You’re celebrating a dish from a rainbow nation, with people from all tribes and colors.”
Henegan also suggests a number of ways you can adapt the recipe if you aren’t strictly vegetarian: use butter in place of the cooking oil, add a beef bone or some meat stock to the kale while it cooks, or even switch out the kale entirely for a creamed spinach. Sometimes he’ll also add coconut flakes or raisins to the saffron rice.
The hoppin’ John was such a hit on New Year’s Day that it’s now a staple menu item at the Bush Farmhouse. And with a recipe that’s simple and quick enough for a weeknight dinner, you certainly don’t need to wait until Jan. 1 to make it at home.
“And it’s a good luck dish,” said Henegan. “You need good luck every day.”
The Bush Farmhouse. 151 S. Ridgeway Ave., Black Mountain. 828-357-5367, bushfarmhouse.com.
Read about other Southern classic dishes and the chefs who are reimagining them at ajc.com/food-and-recipes/southern-classics-reimagined.
Credit: Grace Dickinson
Credit: Grace Dickinson
Mark Henegan’s Hoppin’ John
Henegan’s Hoppin’ John is three separately-made dishes (and one condiment) that are plated together when it’s time to eat. You can make these concurrently on the stove, or simply keep the first dish warm while you prepare the others. These recipes work as a side dish for six or a hearty main dish for four.
4 cups basmati rice, cooked with a pinch of saffron
4 cups Umngqusho (see recipe)
4 cups Morogo (see recipe)
4 tablespoons Red Pepper Paste (see recipe)
8 tablespoons high-quality olive oil
For each serving, place 1 cup of rice in the center of a plate. Place 1 cup each of umngqusho and morogo on either side of the rice. Top with 1 tablespoon red pepper sauce and drizzle with olive oil. Serve hot.
Serves 4.
Per serving: 820 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 13 grams protein, 84 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams total sugars, 12 grams fiber, 48 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 640 milligrams sodium.
Tomato Onion Relish
This tomato onion relish can be made ahead of time and will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week. The recipe makes about 2 cups of relish. You will use only 1/2 cup in the umngqusho recipe, but the relish is a versatile condiment that can be used as a topping on burgers, eggs and toast.
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as vegetable
2 large yellow onions, roughly chopped
6 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ cup chutney, such as Mrs. Ball’s Hot Chutney
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Heat the oil in a medium pan over low heat. Add the onions and saute until they’re deep amber in color, about 40 minutes. Transfer the onions to a medium bowl and set aside.
Increase the heat to medium and add the tomatoes to the same pan (no need to wipe it out). Cook them until they have broken down and most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and chutney to the bowl with the onions, stirring to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes about 2 cups of relish.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 124 calories (percent of calories from fat, 29), 1 gram protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 17 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 160 milligrams sodium.
Umngqusho
The umngqusho is the star of the show in this hoppin’ John: charred peppers give a sweet smoky flavor to creamy beans and hominy. This is also where you’ll use the tomato onion relish. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup, but you can measure with your heart.
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, trimmed, seeded and roughly chopped
1 orange bell pepper, trimmed, seeded and roughly chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, trimmed, seeded and roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, trimmed, seeded and chopped
1 can white hominy, drained, such as Goya
1 can pinto beans, drained
½ cup Tomato Onion Relish (see recipe)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the bell peppers and jalapeno. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are charred and caramelized.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the hominy and pinto beans and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly and mashing up half of the beans and kernels. The dish is ready when it’s well combined into a thick mixture and you can still see whole beans, kernels and peppers.
Stir in the tomato onion relish and season with salt and pepper.
May be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Makes about 6 cups.
Per 1-cup serving: 219 calories (percent of calories from fat, 29), 7 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams total sugars, 7 grams fiber, 7 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 464 milligrams sodium.
Morogo
Morogo, also known as African spinach, is a Setswana word that refers to a few different leafy, green vegetables. In South Africa, it’s typically made with a more tender leaf, but Henegan makes it here with kale to add a Southern touch, and as an added bonus, it keeps well for days in the refrigerator.
4 tablespoons neutral oil, such as vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sprigs thyme, woody stems removed
1 whole dried arbol chile pepper or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large yellow onion, sliced
6 cups chopped kale
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Heat the oil in a tall pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, thyme and chile pepper and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the onion and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until translucent.
Add the kale, 2 cups at a time, stirring to coat the kale in the mixture.
Season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is dark green and soft when chewed. Remove and discard the chile pepper if using.
May be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Makes about 4 cups.
Per 1-cup serving: 150 calories (percent of calories from fat, 84), 1 gram protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 14 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 53 milligrams sodium.
Red Pepper Paste
This red pepper paste is very spicy and packs a lot of flavor, so each dish is only topped with a tablespoon of it. This recipe yields about 1 cup of the paste, which can be used anywhere you want a little kick: stir into soups, scrambled eggs or sauteed vegetables. You’ll have to stop the food processor several times to scrape down the sides of the bowl, but the mixture doesn’t need to be perfectly pureed.
2 cups dried arbol chiles, stems and seeds removed
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until the mixture forms a thick paste, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Store paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Makes about 1 cup.
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 21 calories (percent of calories from fat, 7), 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total sugars, 1 gram fiber, trace total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 144 milligrams sodium.
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