Paul Prudhomme's Hush Puppies

From Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen (William Morrow)

Hush puppies are little nuggets of fried cornbread flavored with thyme, oregano, green onions, and garlic. They are a Southern favorite, often served with fried fish or seafood.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup corn flour, available at health food stores
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, preferably cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• .
• Other Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup green onions, tops only, very finely chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons pork lard, unsalted butter, vegetable oil, chicken fat or bacon drippings
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Combine the cornmeal, flour, corn flour, baking powder, red pepper, salt, black pepper, thyme, white pepper, and oregano in a large bowl, breaking up any lumps. Stir in the green onions and garlic. Add the eggs and blend well.

In a small saucepan bring the milk and lard (or other fat) to a boil. Remove from heat and add to flour mixture, half at a time, stirring well after each addition. Refrigerate 1 hour.

In a large skillet or deep fryer, heat 4 inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Do not crowd. Cook until dark golden brown on each side and cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels.

Yield: 5 servings

Recipe Source: Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen by Paul Prudhomme (William Morrow)
Reprinted with permission.


Source
http://homecooking.about.com/od/breadrecipes/r/blsea1.htm