Hoppin’ St. John

1 cup               Andouille sausage, small dice

1 cup               Smoked sausage, small dice

1 cup               Onion, diced

1 /2 cup           Celery, diced

1 /2 cup           Bell pepper, diced

1 Tbsp              Garlic, minced

1 tsp.                Salt

1 /2 tsp            Pepper

1 tsp                 Creole Seasoning

1 /2 cup           Rice

2 cups              Chicken broth, hot

1 Tbsp              Hot Sauce

1 recipe            RSJ’s Black-Eyed Peas

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place a medium sized saucepot on a low-medium heat. Place the diced meats in the pot and cook for six to seven minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add vegetables and garlic and continue to cook 10 minutes. Add in seasonings and rice and cook long enough to allow the rice to get hot. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and cover the saucepot. Cook 15 minutes (there should still be some broth in the pot). Add the peas and hot sauce to the rice mixture. Mix well and pour into a two-quart baking dish. Cover with foil and place in oven for 30-45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes. Add stock as needed to keep moist. Remove and serve. Yield: 8-10 servings

RSJ’s Black-Eyed Peas:

3 cups Fresh Black-eyed peas (Camellia brand is best)

6 cups  Pork stock

1 piece Bacon

2 tsp Sugar

2 tsp Salt

1 Tbl Flour

Directions: Place peas, stock, bacon, sugar and salt in a three-quart sauce pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cover. Simmer 30-45 minutes. Remove 1 /4 cup of pot liquor. Stir flour into pot liquor and pour back into peas. Bring back to a simmer and cook 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: six to eight servings