Hush Puppies
Crisp, golden hush puppies made from a simple cornmeal batter—flavored with grated onion and deep-fried until puffed and browned. They make a classic Southern side for fried fish, barbecue, or any comfort-food meal.
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Slotted spoon
- box grater
- Large Bowl
- Small ice cream scoop or two spoons
- instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fine- or medium-grind cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar optional
- 1/2 small yellow onion
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 cups peanut or vegetable oil for deep frying (about 1 1/2 inches depth)
- salted butter for serving
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and line a large plate with two layers of paper towels to drain the fried hush puppies.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, kosher salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar (if using) until evenly mixed.
- Grate the half small yellow onion on the large holes of a box grater (about 1/4 cup). Add the grated onion to the dry mixture along with the egg and buttermilk.
- Stir the batter until the ingredients are just incorporated, then let it rest for 15 minutes while you heat the oil.
- Pour enough peanut or vegetable oil into a Dutch oven to reach a depth of about 1 1/2 inches (roughly 4 cups). Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 365°F (185°C).
- Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, drop golf ball-sized portions (about 2 tablespoons) of batter into the hot oil, working in batches of about 5 so the pot isn’t crowded.
- Turn the hush puppies frequently with a slotted spoon or tongs so they brown evenly, frying each batch about 3 to 4 minutes until deeply golden.
- Transfer fried hush puppies to the prepared paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat as needed to keep the oil at the correct temperature. Serve warm with salted butter.