Buddy's BBQ Scratch-Made Hush Puppies

Ingredients

• 2 cup self-rising cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 0.5 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder (do not use baking soda)
• 1 tbsp Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (referred to as 'Tony's')
• jalapeños (diced real, real fine; use as many as you want)
• onion (diced real, real fine; use as many as you want)
• 1 egg
• buttermilk (add very little at a time until a thick batter forms)
• oil for frying (enough for deep frying)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of self-rising cornmeal, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of baking powder. Ensure you use baking powder and not baking soda.

2. 2

   Add approximately 1 tablespoon of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning to the dry mixture.

3. 3

   Finely dice the jalapeños and onions. Add as many as you like to the dry ingredients, ensuring they are chopped very fine so they cook properly inside the hush puppy.

4. 4

   Add one egg to the mixture.

5. 5

   Slowly incorporate the buttermilk. Add very small amounts at a time and mix until a thick batter forms. Do not over-add buttermilk; the batter must remain thick and not 'soupy' to avoid greasy results.

6. 6

   Let the batter sit and rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour. This allows the baking powder to activate and the batter to rise, which is the key to the final texture.

7. 7

   Heat oil in a deep fryer or heavy pot to approximately 350°F (175°C).

8. 8

   Drop spoonfuls of the rested batter into the hot oil and fry until deep golden brown and cooked through.

Notes

The most important steps are adding the buttermilk slowly to maintain a thick consistency and letting the batter rest for at least 45 minutes to rise. If the batter is too thin, the hush puppies will absorb too much grease.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• side dish
• Southern
• fried
• BBQ
• vegetarian