Hush Puppies

Ingredients

• 240 g cornmeal, coarse or medium grind
• 60 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 240 ml buttermilk
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 litre neutral frying oil, sufficient to deep-fry at 175 °C

Method

1. 1
   Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. The cornmeal must constitute the dominant proportion — the flour is present only for binding. Whisk the dry ingredients until evenly mixed.
2. 2
   Add the beaten egg, buttermilk, and finely diced onion to the dry ingredients. Stir until a thick batter forms. The batter is ready when it holds its shape briefly on a spoon before slowly settling — it must not pour or flow freely. If it spreads flat when tested, the hush puppy will fry as a disc; if it does not slacken at all, the centre will remain raw when the exterior is done.
3. 3
   Heat the oil in a deep, heavy vessel to 175 °C. Verify with a thermometer. Do not overcrowd the vessel — each hush puppy requires space to brown evenly on all sides.
4. 4
   Drop rounded spoonfuls of batter (forming balls or oblongs of 3–4 cm) into the hot oil in manageable batches. Fry, turning as needed, until the exterior is deeply golden. The hush puppy is done when it is a uniform deep gold on all surfaces and rises to float freely in the oil.
5. 5
   Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly. The finished hush puppy should crackle audibly when pressed — the exterior is crisp; the interior is moist, tender, and slightly sweet from the corn. The onion must be detectable in every bite.