Hoppin John with a twist!

It's a southern tradition to make and serve Hoppin John on New Years Eve. I was looking for a recipe for Hoppin John but was wanting something a little different and I found it over at Epicurious, it's Hoppin' John Risotto. Now I did change a few things from that original recipe...

This recipe serves 8 to 10 meal sized portions and the recipe can be cut in half to serve 4 or 6 people.

Bacon- fry more bacon! First off you will want more bacon for the topping trust me you will! The extra bacon fat is needed to add flavor to the onions while they are caramelizing. I personally felt that there was not enough bacon fat or butter in this recipe to properly caramelize the onions.

Pancetta and Garlic- if you make the full recipe use 4 ounces of pancetta and fry it with the red onions, celery and garlic as this will add more flavor, by drawing out the fat from the bacon and crisping it up. I do this when making pasta e fagioli and it adds a wonderful flavor! Garlic- the full recipe needs almost twice as much garlic then it calls for.

Parsley- I say forget the parsley, as it adds a grass like flavor that your kids will hate! And you want them to eat this as it takes a long time to prepare and make this dish!

I added freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano -that's Parmesan cheese that's from Parma Italy it is so seriously yummy and worth every penny! I buy mine at Sam's Club and save 50% on the cost per pound than it I were to buy it at the grocery store or even the commissary.

Do all of the prep work before you even think about starting this meal. At one point you will have 3 pots going at the same time on the stove- do not be frightened by this! I think that this is when I am most in my element. :-)

Freshly ground pepper- it calls for ¾ of a teaspoon, if you make the full sized recipe you will need more, a lot more!

Good luck and Happy Cooking!