Name: Hoppin' John Risotto
Yield: Serves 8 side-dish or main-course servings
Ingredients: 4 bacon slices, chopped; 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces; 2 pounds yellow onions (8 medium), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise; 1 1/4 teaspoons table salt; 1 (10-ounce) box frozen black-eyed peas, thawed, or 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed and drained; 1 medium red onion, finely chopped; 1/4 cup finely chopped celery; 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic; 2 1/2 cups Arborio rice (17 1/2 ounces); 1/2 cup dry white wine; 2 ounces sliced pancetta (Italian unsmoked cured bacon), cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup); 1 tablespoon chopped fresh lemon thyme or regular thyme; 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes; 8 cups chicken stock or chicken broth; 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper; Coarse sea salt to taste; 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Hoppin' John is a traditional southern dish of black-eyed peas and salt pork served with rice. Here, it's a risotto dotted with black-eyed peas and flavored with bacon and pancetta. This is an unconventional method for making risotto — rather than slowly adding hot stock to the rice, Rollins adds it, unheated, in just 2 batches. This will allow you more time for preparing the chops that go along with it.