B.B. King's Blues Club Southern-Style Hush Puppies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is hush puppy mix 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.

Hushpuppies are strongly associated with the Southern United States.

They are a savory sweet, a hint of spiciness with a tender, flakey inside that tastes AMAZING! Hush puppies are mouth watering good and so easy to make. With a golden brown crunchy outside and a tender, flakey inside these hush puppies are sure to please family and friends at your next southern dinner.

Hushpuppies are small, deep-fried round balls made from a cornmeal-based batter. They are usually served as a side dish or an appetizer with seafood. According to foodreference.com, the name “hushpuppy” supposedly originated when Southern hunters were gathered around cooking, and the dogs would bark and beg for food.

Cornmeal

Hushpuppy / Main ingredient

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.

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.

So, escaping slaves used to throw balls of fried cornmeal out to distract the hounds from tracking them. The hound stopped barking and tracking thanks to the cornmeal which later adopted the name "hush puppies.” We know this is true because it's popping up all over Facebook, right?

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.

Why are my hush puppies greasy? ›

Fry the hush puppies in small batches, which can help avoid overcrowding the frying pan or fryer. Cramming too many into the pan can lower the oil temperature and result in greasy hush puppies.

Sorting myth from reality is a thorny job when it comes to the origin of the hushpuppy, though it stands to reason that its progenitor dates back to southern North American food practices.

The one common thread is that this fried cornmeal was used to "hush the dogs." I have heard that Confederate soldiers used it to hush their dogs when the Union troops were getting near. I also have heard a similar story in which runaway slaves would use this favorite food to hush the dogs.

These crispy and golden hush puppies, studded with bits of onion and jalapeño, get a healthy makeover by skipping the deep fryer. The air fryer delivers on the classic crispy crust while using just a fraction of the oil from the classic version.

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.

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

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!

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.