Nawlins Hush Puppies
Now I don’t know for sure that this is the way they fix hush puppies in New Orleans, but I modified a Cajun recipe according to instructions from someone who lived down there. Well, I served them the other night, and they were a huge hit. So whatever else we call them, we call them good.
You don’t have to have a deep fat fryer for these, but it helps. For one reason, you know what temperature the oil is. If you use a skillet and aren’t sure how hot the oil is, just put a dab of batter in it and see if it cooks golden brown in two or three minutes. That’ll be close enough.
This recipe will make about a dozen of the size you see in the photo, so double it if you need to. I served it with fried catfish, French fries, aioli cayenne sauce, and a simple salad.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cajun spices (such as Emeril’s Essence, or make your own*)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
oil for frying
* mix a tablespoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt, pinch of cayenne, onion powder, MSG, and black pepper.
instructions
Mix the dry and wet ingredients together in separate bowls, and then combine them to form the batter. Heat the oil to 355 degrees. Drop several spoonfuls of batter into the oil and fry them in batches two or three minutes, turning them over halfway through. Drain on paper towels. Eat them as is or with catsup.