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Hushpuppies With Maple Butter

Oh my goodness: hushpuppies are a delicious, new comfort food discovery for me. Honestly, if you are averse to frying anything, stop reading right now and maybe go look at a healthier dish I make, like my kale salad.  Hushpuppies are not healthy, nor can I even begin to put that spin on them. They are also not something you make every night, but they are a treat, and they are heavenly.

They also make a great addition to special meals such as on New Year’s Eve or as a crowd-pleasing dish to serve to the last of your holiday house guests. The perfect balance of salty and sweet, with a crunchy outside and a fluffy middle—served with a nice bourbon, you truly can’t go wrong.

hushpuppies

For those who don’t know, hushpuppies are small, savory, deep-fried balls made from a cornmeal-based batter.  You may have seen them on the menu of any restaurant serving Southern cuisine. More likely, you may have overlooked them not knowing what they were. Hushpuppies can be traced back to 1899.

here are two legends for their origins, both involving dogs.  One is that hunters would fry a simple cornmeal mixture to feed to their dogs to “hush” them during cookouts. Another is that soldiers during the Civil War used them to keep the dogs from barking and revealing their position.  I like the theories: my three dogs would hush if I tossed cornbread (or anything else) their way!

Mixed with flour, eggs, seasoning, and milk or buttermilk, these savory little treats are simple and scrumptious.  At my husband’s suggestion, based on how he has eaten hushpuppies before, I served mine with a simple maple butter. Again, no complaints from anyone in my household about that. Served warm topped with soft sweet butter, these guys are great as a side or perfect all by themselves.

hushpuppies

About the Author

Andrea Potischman

I am a professionally trained NYC chef turned CA mom and food blogger. I post about real food, with doable ingredient lists that are family friendly.

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