Hushpuppies,
if you've never lived in the South, are deep fried, dumpling-like cornmeal
balls. They date all the way back to the Civil War when soldiers
would make them and eat them as snacks because corn was so accessible.
But they got their name because they would also throw some out to the dogs to
get them to stop barking or howling...'Hush, Puppies!'
I
love a good Hushpuppy. Where I was raised, if you're at a seafood
restaurant on the coast of North Carolina, you get a basket of them with every
order. It's kinda like the bread basket at your run of the mill Italian
restaurant. Most of the time they come from a bag in the freezer,
looking like chubby man fingers, and tasting like stale corndogs without the dogs, but occasionally you'll go to a place that
makes them in house. Big, round, golf ball sized nuggets of corny
goodness. And when they come out to your table, glistening with North
Carolina's finest fry grease, you know you're in for a treat. I like my
hushpuppies a little sweet, flavored with onions and with bits of corn inside.
But then again, I'm not that good at being a traditional Southern gal. I even like
my cornbread sweet. (Wait, did you hear that? That's the sound of my
great grandmother rolling over.)
We
don't really go out to eat a lot these days, and we don't live on the coast
anymore, so when I want a hushpuppy, I gotta make 'em. But here's the
thing. I don't fry. I could. I know how. But I
don't. I'll eat a fried thing once in a blue moon, feel horrible and
sluggish, then remember that I don't eat like that. When I cook at home
for my family I try to make things as healthy as possible, without being diet. So when I want something
like French
Fries or Potato Chips, Coconut
Shrimp, Eggplant
Parm or these Hushpuppies, I find a way to bake them and make them taste
better than when their flavors are masked in grease.
And
these Puppies are delicious! I have tried for years to get the baked
Hushpuppy recipe right and I think I finally got it this time. I
made these over Christmas break when my Other Brother was in town. We had
a big Shrimp Boil (sometimes known as Frogmore
Stew)...
...and
we ate on the floor around the coffee table that I covered in craft
paper. Since it's not summertime and the corn isn't good, I used frozen
cobs. I know it's not cheffy but I don't care. A Shrimp Boil simply
must have corn. And since my toddler daughter loves it so, I couldn't
disappoint her. She actually stole everyone else's corn, the little
devil.
But
corn makes my little lady oh-so-happy.
Not
only do I bake these instead of fry them, I also use whole wheat flour in
addition to the cornmeal. So these baked Hushpuppies are completely whole
grain. And the moisture in the batter comes from a little bit of
butter, eggs and a can of creamed corn. I always have creamed corn in my
pantry. I don't eat it by itself, but I make so many things with
it. Baked
Corn Pudding, Creamed
Corn Mac n Cheese, Enchiladas,
just to name a few. And the end result is this delicious, dense, slightly
sweet and extremely flavorful Hushpuppy...without the grease. Simple
Perfection.
So
here you go- a recipe that took me years to get right. I do hope you like
it!
*Baked Hushpuppies
In
a large mixing bowl, combine the following:
-1 1/2 cups self rising cornmeal
-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
-1/4 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp kosher salt
-1/4 cup light brown sugar
-pinch cayenne pepper
-1/4 cup minced onion (you can always
use some dried or granulated onion but you wouldn't get the moisture that the
fresh onion gives)
In
a smaller bowl, combine the following and mix well:
-4 TB unsalted butter, melted and cooled
-2 large eggs
-1 (14.75 oz) can creamed corn
Add
the wet into the dry and mix well.
Grease
a mini muffin tin tray.
Using
a greased mini ice cream scoop (if you have one), place a small amount of
batter into each greased cup, filling them all the way.
Bake
in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Cool
slightly in the pans until easy to touch and then serve warm, preferable with
some honey butter.
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