Classic Southern Hush Puppies

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven (at least 4-quart capacity)
• •Deep-fry or candy thermometer
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Slotted spoon or spider strainer
• •Small cookie scoop or two tablespoons

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the dry ingredients

   Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl. The stone-ground cornmeal gives you texture and honest corn flavor that degerminated supermarket versions simply cannot provide. If stone-ground is what you have, use it. The slightly coarser grind makes for better hush puppies.

   Stone-ground cornmeal contains the germ and has real corn flavor. It spoils faster because of the oils, so store it in the freezer if you don't use it often.
2. 2

   Mix the wet ingredients

   In a smaller bowl, combine the buttermilk and beaten egg. Stir in the minced onion and scallions. The onion should be minced fine enough that no piece exceeds a quarter inch. Larger chunks will stay raw in the center while the exterior overcooks.

3. 3

   Combine and rest the batter

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a fork or wooden spoon until just combined. The batter should be thick enough to hold a rough shape on a spoon but not so stiff that it forms a ball. If it seems too thick, add buttermilk a tablespoon at a time. Let the batter rest for ten minutes while you heat the oil. This rest allows the cornmeal to hydrate and the leavening to activate.

   The batter thickens as it sits because cornmeal continues to absorb liquid. Don't panic. A slightly thicker batter after resting is normal and desirable.
4. 4

   Heat the frying oil

   Pour oil into a deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven to a depth of two inches. Clip a deep-fry thermometer to the side and heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 350°F. Maintaining this temperature is the whole trick to frying. Too cool and the hush puppies absorb oil and turn greasy. Too hot and the exterior burns before the center cooks through.

   Peanut oil has the highest smoke point and adds subtle flavor. Vegetable or canola oil work fine. Never use olive oil for deep frying.
5. 5

   Form and fry the hush puppies

   Working in batches of five or six, drop rounded tablespoons of batter into the hot oil. Use two spoons to shape them: scoop with one, push off with the other. They should hit the oil with a satisfying sizzle and immediately begin to bubble. Fry for two and a half to three minutes, turning once halfway through, until deep golden brown on all sides. The hush puppies will float when ready.

   A small cookie scoop makes uniform hush puppies and keeps your hands clean. Dip it in the hot oil first to prevent sticking.
6. 6

   Drain and hold warm

   Transfer fried hush puppies to a wire rack set over a sheet pan lined with paper towels. The rack allows air to circulate so the bottoms stay crisp instead of steaming and turning soggy. Season with a light sprinkle of salt immediately while the oil glistens. Keep finished batches warm in a 200°F oven while you fry the rest.

7. 7

   Monitor oil temperature

   Between batches, let the oil return to 350°F before adding more batter. This takes a minute or two. Rushing this step produces pale, greasy hush puppies that will disappoint everyone at the table. Patience here is the price of admission.

   If the oil starts smoking, it has exceeded its smoke point. Remove from heat immediately and let it cool before continuing.
8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Pile the hush puppies in a napkin-lined basket or on a warm platter. Serve alongside fried fish, barbecue, coleslaw, or tartar sauce for dipping. These are at their absolute best within ten minutes of frying, when the crust still crackles and the inside steams when you bite through. A good hush puppy waits for no one.

Chef Tips

• •The onion is not negotiable. A hush puppy without onion is just a fried cornmeal ball. Mince it fine and distribute it evenly through the batter.
• •For a spicier version, add a minced jalapeño or increase the cayenne to half a teaspoon. Some cooks in Louisiana add a splash of hot sauce directly to the batter.
• •If your hush puppies are browning too fast on the outside while staying raw inside, your oil is too hot. Drop the heat and wait for the temperature to fall to 350°F.
• •Leftover batter keeps refrigerated overnight but the leavening loses punch. Add a quarter teaspoon of baking powder before frying the next day.
• •Strain your frying oil through cheesecloth after cooking. Stored in a cool dark place, it can be reused two or three times for more frying.

Advance Preparation

• •The dry ingredients can be mixed together up to one week ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
• •Mince the onions and slice the scallions up to four hours ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator.
• •The mixed batter can rest at room temperature for up to thirty minutes before frying, but no longer. The leavening begins to exhaust itself.
• •For potlucks and travel, fried hush puppies hold reasonably well in a low oven (200°F) for up to forty-five minutes. They will soften slightly but remain respectable.
• •To reheat cold hush puppies, spread on a sheet pan in a single layer and bake at 375°F for eight to ten minutes. They will not match freshly fried, but they will satisfy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 hush puppy (about 38g)