I’ve been intrigued by hush puppies ever since a friend who grew up in the American South told me about them.
He said that when the good old boys were sitting around the campfire at night after a day’s hunting, they’d drop bits of corn bread dough into hot oil to fry and throw it to their barking dogs with the command: “Hush puppies!”
They’re a great side dish with anything saucy, though I enjoy them as a snack as well, especially dunked in Alabama white sauce, Cajun remoulade or comeback sauce!
You want the oil for frying hot enough that the puppies seal and sizzle but not so hot that they burn on the outside before they’re cooked on the inside; the easiest way to check is to fry a test one first.
Unless you’re drinking a beer, as the good ol’ boys would be doing, you’ll need a full-bodied white wine with plenty of acid to pair with these puppies. I like Higher Plane Led Astray Fumé Blanc from Juniper Estate in Margaret River.
Makes: about 20 pieces
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 2 teaspoons castor sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt flakes, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup milk or buttermilk
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 4 green onions, very finely chopped
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Method
Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cayenne, oregano and pepper together.
Add milk, egg and green onion, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine well.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat oil for deep-frying.
Use two dessert spoons to form quenelles of the mixture and fry them in batches for about three minutes, until dark golden brown and cooked through.
Drain on a rack over a paper towel-lined plate
Pile onto a platter and sprinkle generously with salt and serve hot.
You’ll find a print-friendly version of this recipe here as well as a step-by-step video of how to make Cajun remoulade to serve with them.
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Also read: Lemon Delicious Pudding
