Hush puppies are perfect little representations of the South. They’re comprised of meal from the region’s only truly indigenous grain—corn—and like other mild-tasting simple foods, their flavor profile is enhanced by a trip to the fryer. Emerging golden brown and crisp, there’s nothing better for eating between bites of fresh seafood and crunchy coleslaw.
They’re standard issue in the coastal South but are also commonplace throughout the region. In Season 5 of the Kentucky-based TV show Justified, when hunky Marshall Raylon Givens is asked if he’s ever heard of falafel, he replies, “Never cared much for it. I always found it kinda like a cut-rate hush puppy.”
Earlier this month, I had a chance to attend the annual Association of Food Journalists conference, held this year in Tampa/St Petersburg, Florida. Southern food expert and cookbook author Nathalie Dupree gave a talk on whether Florida, with its vibrant immigrant mix and Caribbean influence, sets a traditional Southern table. One of the examples she gave in its defense was hush puppies. Florida, like the rest of the seafood-loving South, is crawling with them.
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Recipe: Make hush puppies at home
Like so many Southern dishes, there are a million ways to make hush puppies, and everyone believes theirs is best. To me, the secret is lots of finely chopped onion—it adds depth—and forming each hush puppy with two spoons.
Ingredients:
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2 cups corn meal
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 egg
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup milk
Canola oil for frying
Steps:
Combine corn meal and flour. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg gently and add the onion and milk. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Heat oil in a saucepan or Dutch oven to 350 degrees. When oil is hot enough to fry, form hushpuppies by scooping enough batter to fill one spoon in a rounded fashion, then use another spoon to help form an egg shape, or quenelle. Drop it into the oil and cook for about three minutes, or until golden brown on all sides.