Hushpuppies

As is with most food created in the Southern states of America, Hushpuppies are delicious in every way. Their origin is a bit fuzzy as to why they are called hushpuppies but regardless of how they were named, how they are made is much more important.

Essentially, hushpuppies are cornmeal based batters that are deep fried. There are so many different recipes with different seasonings and batters but the following recipe is a bit more true to how they were intended.

Start by filling up a pot halfway with oil. Corn oil, peanut oil, canola oil will all work. Only fill the pot halfway as a safety precaution. Oil that overflows will easily start a kitchen fire. Bring the temperature of the oil up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In a mixing bowl, combine buttermilk, vegetable oil, and eggs. Mix these ingredients together well using a whisk.

In a separate bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, fennel seed, mustard, salt, and garlic powder. Fennel is the oddball here, if going for the more traditional hushpuppy you can leave this ingredient out. 

Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, then add minced onion, minced, jalapeno, and diced scallions to the batter. Stir to incorporate and make a uniform batter. 

Using a small ice cream scoop (2oz scoop was used in the picture above), carefully drop a scoop of the batter into the hot oil. Do a few at a time rather then completely filling the pot with batter. This will give each room to cook and you won’t have to worry about them sticking to each other. Cook each hushpuppy until golden brown on all sides, usually 5 minutes is more than enough but check one for doneness by cutting it open. 

Remove the hushpuppies from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them onto a plate covered with paper towel to catch the oil.

Let the hushpuppies cool off just a bit before eating. Serve them with a creamy dipping sauce such as sriracha mayo, ranch, or remoulade (This Crab Cakes Recipe has Red Pepper Remoulade that would pair very well).