Hush Puppies Recipe
Sweet fried cornmeal fritter served w/ bacon maple butter.
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Ingredients
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Hush Puppy Batter
Frying
Bacon Maple Butter
Finishing & Serving
Method
Prepare Batter
- 1
Mix dry ingredients
In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup cornmeal, 3 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt until evenly combined.
- 2
Combine wet ingredients
In a separate bowl whisk 3/4 cup buttermilk with 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil until smooth.
- 3
Fold and rest
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, 2 tablespoons chopped scallion, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or parsley (if using), and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Batter should be thick but spoonable—if too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons more buttermilk. Let the batter rest 10 minutes to hydrate the cornmeal and allow baking powder to activate.
Make Bacon Maple Butter
- 4
While the batter rests, in a small bowl combine 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup. Fold in 3 finely chopped cooked bacon slices. Season with 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar if you want a slight tang. Mix until smooth and set at room temperature so it remains spreadable.
Fry Hush Puppies
- 5
Heat oil
Pour about 3 cups neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat to 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a small bit of batter—if it sizzles and rises steadily, the oil is ready.
- 6
Portion batter
Use a small cookie scoop or two spoons (about 1 tablespoon of batter per hush puppy) to form rounded mounds. Wet the spoons between scoops to prevent sticking.
- 7
Fry in batches
Carefully drop 6–8 hush puppies into the hot oil without overcrowding—maintain oil temperature around 325–350°F (160–175°C). Fry, stirring or turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, 2.5–4 minutes per batch depending on size. Adjust heat as needed so they brown evenly without burning.
- 8