Hush Puppies Recipe

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Hush Puppies Recipe – delicious, super easy, bite-sized cornmeal fritters with a beautiful crunchy exterior and a moist inner texture. Makes a fun appetizer or a side dish for gatherings and special occasions. 

if I were to choose between fries and hush puppies, I’d never give fries a second look. I’m all for the Hush Puppies, baby!

I could still remember the first time I tasted Hush Puppies. There was an instant connection. Perhaps it was because cornmeal was a staple in West Africa and I grew up eating it like this Corn Fritters here.

And when I learned how simply easy it is, it became a go-to party appetizer and it is always a 100% massive hit. On a recent trip to South Carolina ,my mission was to sample as many hush puppies as I could . And boy did I have fun eating it .

So why are  these deep cornbread balls  called, “hush puppies”? Out of curiosity, I decided to do some research on its origin and here is what I found.

Well, according to most online sources, “hush-puppy” was attributed to hunters, fishermen and cooks  who would deep fry some cornmeal mixture and feed it to their dogs to keep them silent during cook-outs or fish fries. Others would also claim that it were the Civil War soldiers who coined the term, in which they were said to toss some fried cornbread just to subdue their dogs’ barks.

But one thing is for sure, these hush puppies over here would knock you off your socks.

The hush puppies in this recipe are a modest version with flavors from , buttermilk, , garlic and finely chopped  onions.

Adding buttermilk to these humble recipe ensures a moist and soft interior while being cooked through with a little bit of tangy flavor that complements well to a spicy, garlicky and savory cornmeal batter. 

You can jazz it up by either throwing in bacon bits, sweet corn, cheese, jalapenos and shrimp. Or simply combine one of those two .

Although you can reheat them, they are definitely best enjoyed as soon as you made them. Serve them over fried catfish or any meal that calls for cornbread sides or simply enjoy it on its own as snacks. Dip them in a tangy, sweet remoulade sauce or whip up your own favorite dip.

Happy eating!

Tips and notes:

1. Do not overmix the batter. Stir around 8-10 times or until the dry and liquid ingredients are barely combined together. Overmixing results to a tough texture.
2. Let the batter stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before shaping them into balls.
3. You may use a Dutch oven or a deep cast-iron skillet to fry. Just make sure it’s at least 5-6 inches deep or enough for the batter to be submerged in a 3-4 inches of oil.
4. Be sure to fry in batches until golden brown, flipping several times using slotted spoon or frying utensil to cook evenly. Overcrowding the pan will result for the oil temperature to drop down and some greasy hush puppies.
5. You may use a cookie scoop to make the dropping process a breeze. But if you don’t have one, make sure to dip the spoon into a glass of water between each hush puppy to keep the dough from sticking.
6. Drain on double layer of paper towels or on a wire rack.
7. Hush Puppies can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days and reheat them in the oven at 450 degree for about 8-10 minutes.

4 from 2 votes

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Shrimp Hush Puppies

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Hush Puppies Recipe - delicious, super easy, bite-sized cornmeal fritters with a beautiful crunchy exterior and a moist inner texture. Makes a fun appetizer or a side dish for gatherings and special occasions. 

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Servings: 3 -5 people

Calories: 558 kcal

Author: Immaculate Bites

Ingredients

• 1 cup (130 grams) All-purpose flour
• 1 cup (120 grams) Cornmeal
• 1/2 Tablespoon (6 grams) baking powder
• 2 Tablespoons (25 grams) sugar
• 1 teaspoon (8 grams) salt
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) buttermilk
• 2 Large eggs
• 3 Tablespoons (40 grams) un-salted butter
• 2-3 Tablespoons chopped or grated onion
• Oil for frying

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking powder, sugar  salt and garlic powder 

2. In another bowl whisk in, buttermilk , and lightly beaten eggs until well combined

3. Add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until fully incorporated, then add grated onions and butter 

4. Heat up a large skillet or cast iron with oil up to ½ inch- medium-high heat (375) until hot but not smoking.
5. Scoop up the batter with a spoon preferably and fry in batches, turning once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan (it will absorb excess oil , resulting in soggy hushpuppies)
6. Using a slotted spoon, remove the hush puppies and place them on paper towels.
7. Serve warm

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking powder, sugar and salt.

In another bowl whisk in, buttermilk , and lightly beaten eggs until well combined

Add the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until fully incorporated, then add grated onions and butter.

Heat up a large skillet or cast iron with oil up to ½ inch- medium-high heat (375) until hot but not smoking. Scoop up the batter with a spoon preferably and fry in batches, turning once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan (it will absorb excess oil , resulting in soggy hush puppies).

Using a slotted spoon, remove the hush puppies and place them on paper towels. Serve warm