Today I want to share how to make southern hush puppies. These deep-fried delights are a must for fish fries, but they can also make an excellent appetizer. They are fantastic on their own, but they are really special when paired with a good dipping sauce.
Most fried dishes can be made in a deep fryer or in a skillet. I’d highly recommend using a deep fryer for hush puppies. They are going to cook more quickly and evenly. If you are in the market for a new deep fryer, check out my review of the T-Fal deep fryer with oil filtration.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 cup of white cornmeal
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of buttermilk
- paprika – 1 teaspoon
- garlic powder – 1 teaspoon
- onion powder – 1 teaspoon
- baking powder – 1 teaspoon
- salt and pepper – 1/2 teaspoon
How To Make Southern Hush Puppies
The first thing we need to knock out is the spice mix. In a small mixing bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Mix the spices together until they are fairly homogenous.
Next, we will move on to the powder ingredients. Combine your flour and cornmeal into a large mixing bowl. Just as we did with the spices, mix the two really well. Make sure there is extra room, as all of the wet ingredients and spices will be added in soon.
Now that all of the dry ingredients are combined, it’s time to mix the wet ingredients. Pour your buttermilk into a bowl. Crack the two eggs into the milk and whisk together until blended smoothly.
With the spices, powders, and wet ingredients all set, it’s time to begin bringing the hush puppies together. Start by adding the spice mix to the buttermilk-egg mixture. Whisk well, and then let it sit for about five minutes.
Once the time has passed, it’s time for the final step. Slowly pour the spice and buttermilk mixture into the powder mix. Stir as you pour to reduce the amount of mixing you have to do at the end. When all the buttermilk is in, continue mixing until it is completely incorporated.
If the hush puppy mix is too loose, add additional flour to tighten it up. If the mix is too dry, add some more buttermilk to moisten it.
Frying
Set your deep fryer to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a small ice cream scooper if you have one to get perfectly round hush puppies. If you don’t have an ice cream scooper, a spoon will work.
Once the oil is up to temp, begin dropping the hush puppies. You need to drop the hush puppies into a submerged fry basket. Trying to drop them into the basket out of the oil will cause them to stick to the bottom.
To avoid splash back, drop the hush puppies as close to the oil as you can. This may seem counterintuitive, as getting closer to hot oil is generally not advised, but if you drop them from too high up you are going to cause an oil splash. As someone who has been burned by hot oil too many times to count, let me say, you do not want this!
Another thing to avoid is overcrowding the fry basket. The hush puppies need room to float and move around. Too much food in the fryer will also lower the oil temp and cause the hush puppies to come out greasy.
The hush puppies will take approximately 4 to 5 minutes to cook. Shake the basket once they begin to float. This will cause the hush puppies to move around and cook on all sides.
The hush puppies should be golden brown when finished. You can crack one open and make sure there is no raw dough in the middle if you are unsure of their doneness. Let them hang in the rack to drip dry for a moment and then dump them onto a paper towel-covered plate or wire baking rack to cool.
What Do Hush Puppies Go With?
Southern hush puppies make a great appetizer. They are particularly good with a dipping sauce, which I will go over down below.
Hush puppies are almost always paired with fried fish, particularly catfish. Go to any fish house across the South and you will likely find at least a couple of hush puppies on your plate. Catfish, French fries, coleslaw, and hush puppies are a classic combo.
You can use hush puppies anywhere you would have used French fries or potato wedges. They also make a good alternative to cornbread. I like pairing hush puppies with greens and beans.
Best Dipping Sauces For Hush Puppies
My favorite dipping sauce for hush puppies is cheese sauce. Straight, out-of-the-can nacho cheese sauce will do, but you can get creative there are some delicious recipes out there.
Tartar sauce is a popular option if the hush puppies are coming with fish. In the same vein, remoulade sauces are also used.
Your favorite jelly or jam will also work as a dipping sauce. As with the cheese, store-bought will work, but a homemade jam or jelly will really make them special.
These hush puppies will make an amazing appetizer for a family dinner. If you are looking for more ideas on creating the perfect dinner, check out my Ultimate Southern Sunday dinner ideas guide!
