Southern Hush Puppies
If you like cornbread, this recipe for hush puppies is sure to please! Hush puppies are a Southern staple, A backyard fish fry in the South would be incomplete without these golden, crispy nuggets, which are considered a must-have side dish or appetizer.
Hush Puppies are deep-fried cornmeal batter that tastes like fried cornbread. They are incredibly quick and easy to make, and they have a perfect crunch and light texture. Their sweetness complements perfectly with savory dishes. A perfect recipe to serve with your next seafood dinner.
Why Do They Call it A Hush Puppy?
Hush puppies come from the Carolinas, which is in the southern United States. There, small balls of cornmeal bread were fried in hot oil and given to dogs to "hush the puppies."
In other words, hush puppies were frequently employed to appease domestic animals.
They are sometimes called "red horse bread," the name of a red horse fish that lives in the rivers of South Carolina.
Why You’ll Love This?
- Quick and Easy! This dish demands no specialized equipment or skills. Making hush puppies from scratch requires only a few basic cupboard ingredients and around 20 minutes.
- Delicious Classic Southern! Cornmeal flour batter with a touch of sweet and savory, fried into tiny, crispy balls.
- Freezer-Friendly! The recipe can be doubled or tripled, and it can be frozen for up to three months! Then you have ready-to-eat hush puppies that reheat nicely in the oven.
What To Eat With Hush Puppies?
They are most frequently eaten with barbecue or fried fish. Traditionally, catfish is served alongside them. Enjoy them with fried whiting fish.
They can also be dipped in hot honey, ketchup, or sour cream that has been somewhat spicy with Sriracha. They would be deliciously served with a steaming bowl of stew or chili as well.
For a complete meal, consider serving these hush puppies with:
- Gumbo
- Creole coleslaw
- Creole pralines
- Seafood pasta
- Hurricane Cocktail
Storage Tips
Storage: It is ideal to eat HushPuppies right after they are made, while they are still warm. But if you have extra hushpuppies, you can keep them in the fridge for up to two days in an airtight.
Reheating: To make the hush-puppies warm and crispy the next day, reheat them in the air fryer. You can also reheat in the oven at 200° F or the microwave, but the outside might not be as crispy.
Freezing: Although I'm not a big fan of freezing-cooked hush puppies because it changes their texture slightly. However, if you want to freeze, let the cooked hushpuppies cool to room temperature and kept in the freezer for up to two months in a freezing-safe bag. Before reheating, let them thaw in the fridge for the entire night.
Expert Tips
- Before you fry the hushpuppies, make sure the oil is hot enough. If the oil is not hot enough, the hushpuppies will turn out greasy. For accuracy, use a kitchen thermometer.
- To ensure that the hush puppy cook evenly, avoid overcrowding the pan during frying. This will drop the oil temperature. For best results, work in batches.
- As soon as you take the hushpuppies out of the hot oil, put them on a wire rack to drain for one to two minutes. Then, put them on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Two spoons work just as well, but we prefer to use a tiny ice cream scooper for easy batter dropping into the oil.
- Flipping each hush puppy halfway through cooking ensures that all sides are golden brown and the center is done.
- Neutral oil. Canola oil or another vegetable oil is ideal for frying because it has a greater smoke point.
- Add-Ins: You can add extra taste by mixing in whole corn kernels from a can or frozen, chopped jalapeño, chopped bacon, shredded cheese, and so on.
Variations and Substitutions
There are many things that can be added to hush puppies. Feel free to experiment with these tasty additions when making these hushpuppies:
- Chopped shrimp
- Chopped crawfish tails
- Crab meat
- Corn kernels
- Jalapenos
- Blackeye peas
- Celery
- Okra
If you want the greatest flavor and texture from this recipe, use buttermilk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Hush Puppy Made Of?
Hushpuppies are golden-colored, deep-fried balls made of cornmeal, sugar, salt, milk/buttermilk, grated onion, and eggs. Some people think they are better than corn fritters.
Are Corn Fritters and Hush Puppies the Same Thing?
Hush puppies and corn fritters are two different names for the same fried balls of dough. Corn fritters are deep-fried dough balls made mainly of white flour and corn kernels. Most hush puppies are made with cornmeal, but some may also have whole corn in them.
