Hush Puppies (North Carolina)

A hush puppy is a small, savoury, deep-fried round ball made from cornmeal-based batter. Hush puppies are frequently served as a side dish with seafood and other deep-fried foods. In North Carolina, oblong-shaped hush puppies are served with your plate of 'cue.

2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. kosher salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ tsp. hot sauce
1 medium yellow onion, minced
Canola oil, for frying

In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, hot sauce, onion, and ¼ cup water. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir together with a spoon; let sit for 10 minutes.

Pour oil to a depth of 2" in a 6 qt Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 375°F (190°C).

Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a ¾" diameter round tip. Working in batches, pipe and cut 3" long logs of batter into oil; fry until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with more salt.

Makes 8-10 servings.