Description
Southern hush puppies boast crispy golden exteriors with cornmeal-based deliciousness inside. Seasoned southern cooks drop batter into hot oil, creating irresistible bite-sized corn fritters you cannot resist sampling.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsps salt
- ¾ cup (90 g) cornmeal
- ¾ cup (90 g) flour
- 4 tbsps (60 g) cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 tbsp (15 g) sugar
- 1 ½ tsps baking powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Oil for frying
- Tartar sauce for serving
Instructions
- Oil Preparation: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet to 365°F, maintaining a consistent depth of 2 inches for optimal frying.
- Dry Ingredient Blend: Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and ground black pepper in a mixing bowl until uniformly combined.
- Batter Formation: Create a central well in dry ingredients, add whole egg and buttermilk, then gently fold with a spatula until ingredients are just integrated, avoiding overmixing.
- Butter Incorporation: Fold cold cubed butter into the batter, ensuring even distribution throughout the mixture for rich flavor and texture.
- Frying Process: Carefully drop rounded batter spoonfuls into hot oil using two spoons, working in small batches to maintain consistent oil temperature and prevent overcrowding.
- Golden Browning: Fry hush puppies for 2-3 minutes, rotating periodically to achieve an even, golden-brown exterior that’s crispy and uniform.
- Draining and Serving: Remove hush puppies with a metal strainer, drain excess oil on paper towels, and serve immediately with tangy tartar sauce for a classic Southern appetizer experience.
Notes
- Prevent Tough Texture: Mix batter minimally to avoid overworking, which can develop gluten and create dense hush puppies.
- Maintain Oil Temperature: Use a thermometer to keep oil consistently at 365°F, ensuring crispy exterior and fully cooked interior without burning.
- Batch Frying Technique: Drop small spoonfuls in hot oil and cook in batches to prevent overcrowding, which can lower oil temperature and result in greasy puppies.
- Butter Precision: Use cold butter and cut into small cubes for better distribution and creating tender, flaky texture throughout the hush puppies.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg