Mama’s Cornmeal Hushpuppies

Name: Mama’s Cornmeal Hushpuppies
Yield: makes 48
Ingredients: 2 cups self-rising cornmeal (see Note); 1 large jalapeño, seeded and chopped fine; 3/4 cup finely chopped onion; 2 cups buttermilk; 8 cups peanut oil, for frying

January 24, 2012

You can’t have fried catfish (page 106) without hushpuppies! Sometimes I add a few more jalapeños to the mixture for a little extra jolt. There are several stories about how hushpuppies got their name. My favorite is the one where an old southern cook was frying them one day and heard her dog howling nearby, so she gave him a plateful and said, “Hush, puppy!” It might just be folklore, but I like it.

Recipe notes

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