They look great, Lars.

Did they like the hushpuppies and pakoras?

They seemed to like the hush puppies better than the pakoras, but the pakoras came with a tamarind sauce that was nice - also obviously from a caterer, according to Kevin. One guy liked them so much that he asked me again what they were called, as he had forgotten the name.

I also made garlic toast, which I set out next to a green salad that someone else brought (or bought), but it was not as popular as the hush puppies. I guess Bumblebeez was right about not bringing a bread dish, although now I am going to use the leftover garlic toast for croutons.

Mine are free form because they have a lot of vegetables in them - garlic, celery, onion, chilies, and bell pepper. When I try to form them into balls, they stick to my hands, and so it works better to form them with two spoons and then force them off of one spoon into the oil. I've made them with and without vegetables, and I prefer them with the vegetables, although they are coarser in appearance.

I did not make the pakoras - the Indian family across the street from me brought those, but they also ate my hush puppies.

Those look great! I would eat two! I like the round form and size, perfect thing to bring!

They look wonderful.

They are all the same size, and fried to the same color. What are your tricks for making the treats?

dcarch

Any way you make them, they look delicious!

I wasn't criticizing the shape. I'm used to the veggie free balls, but think yours look really good! I meant it about the crags and crannies looked tasty. When they're too smooth the flavor is flat too. That's why I always tear sausage (as an ingredient) rather than cutting it, as well.

Tip for handling sticky: Oil your hands before you work, making sure to rub it in well. Whatever oil you have handy. A lot of times my hands want to suck moisture out of whatever I'm handling because I wash them so hot in the kitchen. Oiling helps the stickiness a lot. Also, with a sticky dough like that, I'll sometimes take a pinch of dough and work that between my hands so the dough is rolling on dough instead of skin.

DC, here is the recipe I came up with - it is a variation on a recipe from Justin Wilson:

Oil for frying (grape seed or canola)

1 Habanero chili, minced (JW used cayenne)
1/4 cup minced bell pepper (red or yellow)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped (or parsley JW)
2 cloves garlic, minced (JW used garlic powder)
1 cup A/P flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Salt
2 c Cornmeal (or 1-1/2 cups cornmeal + 1/2 cup masa or corn flour)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme

2 Eggs, beaten
3/4 cup water
4 Tbsp powdered buttermilk*
2 tbsp olive oil

Combine all dry ingredients, coating all vegetables with flour and cornmeal.

Mix eggs, buttermilk, and oil, and add to dry ingredients.

Mix well. Drop in deep hot oil (360°) by spoonfuls and brown on all sides,
approximately 5-6 minutes. I only cook five at a time.

Drain on paper towels and serve. Makes
four dozen hush puppies.

*Note: Use 1 cup buttermilk in place of water plus powdered buttermilk, if you
have it. Dried herbs can be omitted, or
you can use sage instead, dried or fresh.

If you do not have Habanero chilies, you can use four jalapeño chilies and omit the bell pepper, but it is best to use ripe chilies, whatever they are. JW used cayenne instead and did not add the herbs, which I think are also optional, although Paul Pruhomme uses them, and so that part came from his recipe. I cooked one first to sample for taste and then decided to add the herbs. JW's recipe calls for 1 cup of green onion, but I used a combination of chives and red onion instead, not knowing that I had green onions in the fridge.

I use a Cool-Daddy deep fryer set at 360°, and this makes frying easier - it is difficult to maintain the correct temperature on a burner.

JC, I oil my fingers (left hand only) when I chop Habanero chilies, and I could have done this for the dough, but it was faster to drop from the spoons. In the past, I have made the balls by hand, five at a time, and stored them on a plate until time to fry them.

Lars, thank you for posting your recipe! I have never cared much for hushpuppies. (I don't like plain corn bread or corn tortillas, either.) But those pictures are definitely drool-worthy! I always thought hush puppies sounded like something that was supposed to be good, and was always disappointed when I'd take a bite of one. So, several years ago, when I came across a recipe that had finely diced onion, celery and bell pepper in them, I tried it, and they were pretty durned good. But no one else much liked them, so I never bothered with them again, and the recipe has been long lost. But your version looks and sounds really good, with all the "add-ins", for lack of a better term. I am definitely saving it to try the next time we have a big family fish-fry.

On second thought, maybe I ought to make some just for myself later this week. Just to be sure they're as good as they look. . . . . . . (grin)

Rusty

Rusty, normally I make them when I fry fish in cornmeal, and I use the leftover cornmeal, flour, and egg from dipping the fish, and then I add baking powder and minced celery, onion, and jalapeños, and so I do not usually use a recipe, as I am just using up leftover ingredients. The cornmeal already has Cajun seasoning it it, and so I normally make them with the dried herbs.

I love hush puppies and always order them when I see them on a menu - usually in Cajun style restaurants or fast-food fish. I've eaten them since I was a child, and so they bring back memories.

You guys make me feel so envious. Doesn't anybody but me have to watch the sodium and oils and nasty stuff like that? Bard

Forgive the typo please. I need to hit the sack! Barb

Yes, Barb, I sympathize with you totally. I am limited to low sodium, no red meats, no shellfish, limited varieties of fish, plus numerous other restrictions. I deal with it by being very VERY careful most of the time, but allowing myself a little splurge occasionally. And altering recipes to suit. A couple of these hushpuppies would be my fried food splurge for one week. (I'll omit the salt when I make them).

All in all, I probably shouldn't be reading cooking forums, but I feel if I can't enjoy eating it, I can enjoy reading about it!

Rusty

I made these for a party - they are not everyday food. There is only 1 tsp of salt in 50 hush puppies, which makesthe amount of salt in a single serving of two to be 80 mg. Two hush puppies would have 16 mg from the baking soda, 14 from the baking powder, and 11 from the buttermilk, for a total of 121 mg, or about 5% of the daily recommended maximum, and therefore these are not high in sodium, compared to a lot of other foods.

I did not find these to absorb all that much oil while deep frying, and a certain amount of oil/fat is necessary in diets.

Lars, I appreciate the sodium break-down, that is very helpful! And it's true, the body does need some oils/fats. It's just entirely too easy to get too much of the wrong kinds if you're not careful.

Rusty

Yum, Lars, those look and sound delicious. I haven't made hush puppies in a long time, I think I'm about due for some.

Annie

This thread made me laugh. I've never eaten a Hush Puppy. Where I come form, it's a make of shoes!

There are a bunch of different folk etymologies, which mostly seem to revolve around giving them to the dogs to keep them quiet, usually in a situation where a dog would want to bark but would have an adverse effect, like scaring off prey.

According to Wikipedia, the shoes were named after the food because they'd "quiet barking dogs". ("My dogs are barking" is 20th C. American slang for "my feet hurt". )

As a footnote, the leftovers did not heat well and came out a bit tough, although when first cooked they were tender and moist. I used medium grind cornmeal, and next time I will use a finer grind - or substitute more masa for part of the cornmeal.

I had Hush Puppy shoes when I was a child (they were somewhat ugly), but I have never personally heard anyone refer to feet as dogs - only cartoons. Any barking dog has an adverse effect on me - I've been bitten more than once by dogs that were violating leash laws. I would never reward a barking dog with food, but I do think it used to be traditional in the South.

Great explanation!!!