Fried Hush Puppies – Savory or Sweet , You Pick!
Today we’re going to do a classic fried hush puppy – but you get a bonus because Shan is sharing her recipe too. It’s my savory version and her sweet version so y’all can decide!
When I first started having hush puppies so many years ago, it was just cornmeal and flour, a little bit of spice, milk, and egg. Shannon grew up in the North and she believes that the northern cornbread, in general, is a little sweeter and a little more cake-like. But I’m adding taking the more traditional route.
Savory Hush Puppies
I’m adding jalapeno, a sweet mini bell pepper, and onion to my mix. Be sure to mince them up finely for better incorporation.
You can make your hush puppies in a cylinder form.
When making the dough you want it to hold together but still be a little moist. Now, we’ll just pinch a little off and roll it around in the hand to make it in a cylinder form- about 2.5- inches by 1/2- inch.
When you put them in the oil (about 2 inches deep) you gonna have to rotate these deals of rascals around to get that even brown crust everywhere. I just like to give ‘em a little stir to make sure none of them fellers are trying to join back together with somebody else. Frying time ain’t long – two to three minutes, and this is a done deal, stick a fork in it!
Y’all may be thinking, “Looks like a giant Cheeto”, does to me too, but, boy, they’re good. Get you a wire rack or something and let them rascals drain and cool a little. And you know what goes well with them? Some of that Red River Relish, which you can get here.
Sweet Hush Puppies
Shan’s sweet take is pretty good too- and it’s not too sweet where you think it’s going to be dessert.
To make her version she’s taking a sweet Vidalia onion, dicing it up and cooking it in a little butter to bring out the flavor. Sugar and honey are also going into these little guys. The honey will caramelize a little as these puppies fry and makes a great crust.
Make the sweet hush puppies round.
Shan forms hers in to balls before deep frying them. You’ll also want to cook these to a rich golden brown to make sure they aren’t gooey in the middle and cooked thru.
Now you can pick, which one you’d like to try- the Savory and the Sweet one. But I’d probably tell you to try them both!
Don’t forget to invite your family and friends, and neighbors, cause this is what it’s all about, about bringing people together. We do have our video below to show you how we put these together. And for those of you who have been following our shows we’ve got something special to share with you at the end of the video.
Watch how we make Best Fried Hush Puppies – both Savory and Sweet!
Kent's Savory Hush Puppy Recipe - Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup of flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg beaten
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 sweet peppers diced
- 2 jalepenos diced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the egg and milk. Stir in the onion, peppers and jalapenos.
- With floured hands, pinch off the dough and form into about 2 ½ x ½-inch cylinders.
- In a deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil to 350 - 365°. Drop the batter into the oil. Fry for about 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until golden brown rotating. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm. Makes 15 - 17.
Shannon's Sweet Hush Puppy Recipe - Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- ½ cup minced sweet yellow Vidalia onion
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Fry oil
Instructions
- In a skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the onion and cook over medium heat until the onions become tender, about 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and honey.
- Toss the cooked onions into the dry flour mixture. Slowly stir in the milk mixture just until combined. Don’t over stir.
- Fill a saucepan about 1 ½ to 2-inches deep with the fry oil. Heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F.
- With your hands, form the dough into about 1-inch sized balls. Add a little flour to your hands if needed to prevent sticking. Add to the oil and fry until all sides are a rich golden brown, rotating frequently.
- Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 2 dozen hush puppies.
