Email to Cat      

Hush Puppies

Source of Recipe

From "Martha's American Food" by Martha Stewart


Recipe Introduction

"Southerners adore a tall tale, so it's no surprise that these balls of deep-fried cornmeal batter come with a doozy: the term originated with the cooks at fish camps on the Florida Gulf, who would quiet their dogs with fried-batter scraps flung straight from the skillet. Whether the tale holds true doesn't really matter. The important thing to remember is that when dollops of cornmeal batter are perked up with a little cayenne pepper and onion, deep-fried until crunchy on the outside and fluffy within, and served straight out of the pan, they are absolutely irresistible. Who wouldn't hush right up?"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 cup yellow cornmeal
â—¦ ½ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 teaspoon sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon baking powder
â—¦ 1 teaspoon baking soda
â—¦ Coarse salt
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon cayenne
â—¦ 1 medium onion
â—¦ 1 large egg
â—¦ 1 cup buttermilk
â—¦ Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying (about 2 quarts)


Recipe

Preheat oven to 200° F.

Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and the cayenne. Grate onion on the large holes of a box grater into another bowl to yield 3 tablespoons, reserving juice. Add egg and buttermilk and whisk to combine, then stir into cornmeal mixture just until combined, with some lumps remaining. Batter will be as thick as a heavy pancake batter.

Heat 4 inches oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over high until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 360° F. Working in batches, drop batter by the tablespoon into oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until cooked through and deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer hush puppies to a paper towel-lined baking sheet in the oven while finishing the batches. Return oil to 360° F between batches. Serve warm.

Serves 4