How to Make Hush Puppies
Preheat a deep fryer to 365 °F (185 °C) or heat up 2 cups oil over medium-high heat., Sift the dry ingredients -- flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking soda and powder -- together., Finely dice your large onion and add it to the dry ingredients...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Preheat a deep fryer to 365 °F (185 °C) or heat up 2 cups oil over medium-high heat.
The most common oil used is peanut, but vegetable, sunflower, or canola oil will do as well.
As the oil warms to its appropriate heat, start mixing up ingredients.
If you don't have a deep fryer, don't worry.
You can use a piece of bread to check your oil's temperature as well. -
Step 2: Sift the dry ingredients -- flour
Use a fork or whisk to make sure everything is evenly mixed in., To dice an onion, cut it in half from end to end and peel off the skin.
Cut off the tops
-- the long, spindly end
-- from each half.
Then make long, vertical slices, following the onion's long, visible lines.
Finally, cut horizontally across these long cuts to get small squares.
For even smaller pieces, stand the onion up on its end and cut each part in half once more before cutting your squares. , Put the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds.
If it's not totally melted, add 10 seconds at a time until it has just turned liquid
-- it doesn't need to be hot.
In a separate bowl, mix this butter into the buttermilk. , You want all of your wet ingredients to be together, well mixed, in this separate bowl.
It can help to whisk the egg ahead of time so that it is already scrambled. , Pour your bowl of buttermilk mixture straight into the flours, salt, and sugar. , You want a batter that is thicker than pancakes, but not so thick that it can't be stirred easily.
Once it is all mixed in, stop
-- you don't want to over stir.
Use a rubber spatula for the best results.
If the batter is very wet and runny, add 1-2 more tablespoons of corn meal.
If the batter is thick and difficult to stir, add 1-2 more tablespoons of milk., A candy or frying thermometer is easiest, but it is far from your only option.
Cut a 1-inch (2.5cm) piece of bread and drop it into the hot oil.
If it is completely browned within 60 seconds, your oil is hot enough to fry with.
If the bread browns faster than 60 seconds, turn the heat down.
A kernel of popcorn will not pop until it's reached the right temperature, and can be used as another test subject when dropped in oil., A normal spoon should have the right amount of batter.
Dip it in cold water to prevent the dough from sticking, then scoop a roughly 1" (2.5cm) piece of dough into the hot oil.
Only cook 6-7 pieces at once to prevent cooling the oil with too much cold batter.
If the oil gets too cold the puppies will take longer to cook and will come out greasy., Hush puppies will sometimes flip themselves, but if not you can use a slotted spoon to turn them over.
This ensures all sides cook evenly. , If they look nice and golden all over, they are ready to remove.
While the exact time will depend on the size of the hush puppy and oil's heat, they shouldn't take longer than 2-3 minutes. , This removes some of the excess oil from the surface, which helps the outsides cool into a crisp, delicious exterior.
Enjoy! -
Step 3: cornmeal
-
Step 4: baking soda and powder -- together.
-
Step 5: Finely dice your large onion and add it to the dry ingredients.
-
Step 6: Melt the butter in the microwave in 30-second bursts
-
Step 7: then stir it into the buttermilk.
-
Step 8: Whisk the egg and water into the buttermilk.
-
Step 9: Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
-
Step 10: Mix until combined
-
Step 11: without any chunks.
-
Step 12: Test the heat of the frying oil
-
Step 13: aiming for 365F/185C.
-
Step 14: Drop 6-7 pieces of batter into the hot oil using a metal spoon.
-
Step 15: Turn puppies after one minute to ensure that they cook completely.
-
Step 16: Fry until golden on all sides.
-
Step 17: Rest finished hush puppies on a plate of paper towels to drain.
Detailed Guide
The most common oil used is peanut, but vegetable, sunflower, or canola oil will do as well.
As the oil warms to its appropriate heat, start mixing up ingredients.
If you don't have a deep fryer, don't worry.
You can use a piece of bread to check your oil's temperature as well.
Use a fork or whisk to make sure everything is evenly mixed in., To dice an onion, cut it in half from end to end and peel off the skin.
Cut off the tops
-- the long, spindly end
-- from each half.
Then make long, vertical slices, following the onion's long, visible lines.
Finally, cut horizontally across these long cuts to get small squares.
For even smaller pieces, stand the onion up on its end and cut each part in half once more before cutting your squares. , Put the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds.
If it's not totally melted, add 10 seconds at a time until it has just turned liquid
-- it doesn't need to be hot.
In a separate bowl, mix this butter into the buttermilk. , You want all of your wet ingredients to be together, well mixed, in this separate bowl.
It can help to whisk the egg ahead of time so that it is already scrambled. , Pour your bowl of buttermilk mixture straight into the flours, salt, and sugar. , You want a batter that is thicker than pancakes, but not so thick that it can't be stirred easily.
Once it is all mixed in, stop
-- you don't want to over stir.
Use a rubber spatula for the best results.
If the batter is very wet and runny, add 1-2 more tablespoons of corn meal.
If the batter is thick and difficult to stir, add 1-2 more tablespoons of milk., A candy or frying thermometer is easiest, but it is far from your only option.
Cut a 1-inch (2.5cm) piece of bread and drop it into the hot oil.
If it is completely browned within 60 seconds, your oil is hot enough to fry with.
If the bread browns faster than 60 seconds, turn the heat down.
A kernel of popcorn will not pop until it's reached the right temperature, and can be used as another test subject when dropped in oil., A normal spoon should have the right amount of batter.
Dip it in cold water to prevent the dough from sticking, then scoop a roughly 1" (2.5cm) piece of dough into the hot oil.
Only cook 6-7 pieces at once to prevent cooling the oil with too much cold batter.
If the oil gets too cold the puppies will take longer to cook and will come out greasy., Hush puppies will sometimes flip themselves, but if not you can use a slotted spoon to turn them over.
This ensures all sides cook evenly. , If they look nice and golden all over, they are ready to remove.
While the exact time will depend on the size of the hush puppy and oil's heat, they shouldn't take longer than 2-3 minutes. , This removes some of the excess oil from the surface, which helps the outsides cool into a crisp, delicious exterior.
Enjoy!
About the Author
Joshua Ward
Committed to making practical skills accessible and understandable for everyone.
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