Southern Style Hushpuppies Recipe | Buy This Cook That (2024)

FAQs

What are traditional hush puppies made of? ›

Hush puppies are made from a basic batter consisting of yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, buttermilk or milk and eggs. Many recipes call for the addition of scallions or onions. The base lends itself to riffing, too, including the addition of spicy peppers, cheese, spices or even beer.

INGREDIENTS: Onions, Enriched Degermed White Corn Meal (prepared from cornstarch, niacin, reduced iron, tricalcium phosphate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid), Water, Enriched Wheat Flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid), Soybean Oil, Sugar.

If your hush puppies are falling apart, you may have used too much cornmeal. Try adding a little more (but not too much) flour. If you add too much flour, they'll become dense. For healthier hush puppies, try baking them.

In fact, the Carolinas can proudly claim to be the birthplace of this now-iconic American food. A hushpuppy is a simple treat—thick cornmeal batter dropped in spheres (or nuggets or fingers) into hot oil and fried till crisp and brown.

The main ingredients in hush puppies are cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Some recipes also call for egg, milk, and butter.

Hushpuppies are strongly associated with the Southern United States.

The Perfect Cornmeal-to-Flour Ratio

If made from just cornmeal, hush puppies will fall apart in the oil. If too much flour is used, the hush puppies become heavy, dense, and bread-like.

In the instance of hushpuppies, the tale goes that Confederate soldiers were preparing food around a campfire and heard Union soldiers in the vicinity, so they pitched their yelping dogs some fried cornmeal cakes and ordered them to “hush puppies.”

According to an Antebellum-era legend (1812-1860), hush puppies may have gotten their name when individuals attempting to escape slavery needed to keep any lingering watchdogs silent. Cornmeal batter would be fried and, when needed, tossed to the dogs as a distraction.

In the case of hushpuppies, the story goes, Confederate soldiers making dinner around a campfire heard Yankee soldiers approaching, so they tossed their yapping dogs some fried cornmeal cakes and ordered them to "hush, puppies!"

What is an American hush puppy? ›

A Southern specialty, hush puppies are small, deep-fried balls made of a cornmeal batter. They are a humble side dish often served with fried foods like catfish and other seafood.

Southern tribes such as the Cherokee or Seminole would ground up corn which would then be boiled, a very early version of the cooking method used to create what we now know as hushpuppies.

When was Hush Puppies founded? Hush Puppies was founded in 1958 by Wolverine, who wanted to develop a casual and soft shoe, using pig skin. Though hugely popular in the late 1950s, Hush Puppies were on the decline until the 1990s, when they became fashionable amongst alternative and edgy trendsetters.

The main difference is that cornbread is baked and hush puppies are fried, hence the difference in texture—though hush puppies can be air fryed, too. "Typically hush puppy batter is a little thicker than cornbread batter, but that is just a matter of moisture. The basic ingredients are the same," Matijevich said.

Traditional hush puppies do not have meat in them – remember the tales of how they came to be. The best part about this hush puppy appetizer is how easy it is to throw together, how simple the ingredient list is, and how delicious they taste!

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