Easy Southern Hushpuppy Recipe

Loving seafood dishes, I'm always experimenting with complementary sides. I love fresh veggies and salads, but in addition, there's nothing more complimentary to a seafood dish than good ole southern hushpuppies (preferably with semi-soft garlic and herb butter on the side). I can't help it! I'm a southern boy!

I doubt there's a fish or seafood lover that's never tried hush puppies. Unfortunately, most are poorly done or from a box. Adding to injustice, they are almost always heavy, overcooked, hard and greasy. I prefer something fresh and light. Although fried foods are not considered fresh or light, a good hushpuppy recipe done right is very light and crisp.

Based on Justin Wilson's easy southern hushpuppy recipe, I've modified it to suit my taste. Every component should be individually seasoned to taste without overdoing it. Here's the recipe...

Ingredients...

• Dry (spice to taste - be careful)...
  • 1 cup - all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup - cornmeal
  • 1 tsp - baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp - baking soda
  • 1 tsp - salt (consider Lawry's or other seasoned salt)
• Wet (spice to taste)...
  • 1 cup - buttermilk
  • 1 egg (large)
• Fresh (optional) - Chopped and combined = 1-1/2 cups total...
  
  • Corn - carved from the cob is best (canned otherwise)
  • Onions - very coarsely chopped (1/2-inch or more chunks)
  • Garlic - chopped (up to 1/4-inch chunks)
  • Scallions - cut to 1/4-inch
  • Other Options - leaks, bell peppers, carrots, parsley, chives, hot peppers, mushrooms, shrimp, feta or other cheese
• Dry Spices (choose to suit your taste - do not use all)...
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Dried Garlic ("Litehouse" brand)
  • Dried Onion Flakes
  • Lawry's Seasoned Salt
  • Cavender's Greek Seasoning
  • Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
  • Old Bay Seasoning

Instructions...

• Prepare Frying Oil - Add oil to a deep fryer or frying pan (peanut oil is best). Oil depth should be at least 1-1/2 inches. Heat to 340-370 degrees F.
• Taste - Every component ("Dry", "Wet" and "Fresh" ingredients) should be properly seasoned and taste good on their own. Be careful not to over-season!
• Combine Wet and Fresh Ingredients - Add fresh ingredients to wet, and stir to even consistency just prior to combining all ingredients.
• Combine All Ingredients - Place dry ingredients into a large bowl, then carefully stir-in wet/fresh ingredients until just combined. Do not over-mix! The resulting mixture should be fairly thick. You can adjust thickness later by adding buttermilk or flour.
• Test - Add a spoonful of prepared mixture to heated oil (use two spoons — one to hold the batter and the other to gently remove batter from the first). Adjust oil temperature as needed. Your hushpuppy should light and properly cooked on the inside — not dry, gummy or thick. The outside should be crisp or almost crisp.
• Cook - If the inside of the "test hushpuppy" cooks as desired, add batter by the spoonful. Cook until light-brown, then remove, blot and set aside on paper towels. When other dishes are near-ready, place lightly-cooked hushpuppies back in oil and fry until crisp on the outside. If you have more than needed, save lightly-browned hushpuppies for later. They are often better the second time around!

Tags: food, fried, hush puppies, hush puppy, hushpuppies, hushpuppy, recipes, seafood, seafood sides