For me, hush puppies are an absolute must with fried fish – along with some coleslaw and great tartar sauce. So after sharing my Lemon Pepper Fried Catfish earlier in the week, I knew I also had to share a delicious recipe for hush puppies. And this recipe for my Sweet Onion Hush Puppies is just that.
Now there are quite a few stories as to how these delicious little morsels of fried cornbread got their name. My grandfather always told me that hush puppies were called that because cooks started frying simple balls of batter to quiet barking dogs who were begging for food. Now, I’m not sure if that’s the truth, but since my Papa said it, it must be. And honestly, I don’t need another story to explain the name. That one works just fine for me.
When it comes to hush puppies, cornmeal is a must. A little flour and egg helps hold them together. Buttermilk gives them a bit of tang. And a little sweetness is good, too. And since onions add great flavor to an otherwise boring ball of fried cornmeal, adding in sweet onions makes them even better. So that’s how I arrived at my Sweet Onion Hush Puppies. Simple, delicious, and uncomplicated.
A few tips for perfect hush puppies:
Maintaining the correct oil temperature is super important here. A fry thermometer comes in super handy. I try to fry mine between 350°F and 360°F. This allows the outside to get golden brown and the inside to get cooked through. If the temperature is too high, it will cause the outside to get too dark and the inside won’t cook through all the way. If it’s too low, it can make for soggy or greasy hush puppies.
Just as when making cornbread, you don’t want to over-stir the batter. Just get it all combined and then stop stirring.
Giving the batter a little time to rest allows the leavening to start working which makes for lighter, fluffier hushpuppies. Just don’t stir it again after the rest. Just scoop it out and gently drop it into the oil.
A 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or disher works great for keeping your hushpuppies of similar size and make getting them into the oil a little easier.
Southern Sweet Onion Hush Puppies
Ingredients
- 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal
- 1/2 cup self-rising flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Instructions
- Add about 2 inches of oil to the bottom of heavy bottom dutch oven or deep skillet - being sure the oil doesn't come more than halfway up the side of the vessel. Heat to 350°F.
- While the oil is heating, combine the onion, cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg into the buttermilk. Add to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Allow the batter to rest for about 5 minutes.
- Drop the batter by heaping tablespoonsful carefully into the hot oil and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, turning over once, or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. Working in batches, being sure not to cook too many at one time as the oil temp will drop and the hush puppies will end up greasy. Be sure to adjust the heat to keep the oil at about 350°F.
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