Souffle Hoppin John

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients

• 1-1/3  cups  water
• 2/3  cup  long grain rice
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 2  tablespoons  butter or margarine
• 1    medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1/2    red sweet pepper, finely chopped
• 1  clove  garlic, minced
• 2  cups  milk, half-and-half, or light cream
• 1/8 to 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper or several dashes bottled hot pepper sauce
• 2    egg yolks
• 1/4  cup  finely chopped prosciutto or ham (about 2 ounces)
• 2  cups  cooked black-eyed peas or frozen black-eyed peas, thawed, or one 14-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained
• 2    egg whites
• 1/3  cup  snipped fresh parsley
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Bring water to boiling in a medium saucepan. Add rice and salt. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Set aside.
2. For sauce, melt butter or margarine in another medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, sweet pepper, and garlic; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add flour; cook and stir 1 minute more. Add milk, half-and-half, or light cream; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat. Add salt, ground black pepper, and ground red pepper to taste.
3. Place 1/4 cup of the sauce into a small bowl; stir in egg yolks. Stir egg yolk mixture into sauce in saucepan. Add rice, prosciutto or ham, and black-eyed peas.
4. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form (peaks stand straight). Gently fold egg whites into black-eyed pea mixture in saucepan. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 2-quart square baking dish.
5. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. To serve, sprinkle with parsley. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Make-Ahead Tip: Refrigerate cooked rice and cooked or thawed black-eyed peas, covered, up to 2 days.