Early during quarantine I decided that I really wanted to be able to fry particular thing like egg rolls, fish and dumplings. To make this possible I bought a pot with a basket for frying. As fourth of July neared I thought that it might be fun to make some hush puppies in the fryer. When we would go out for barbecue as a family we’d often order hush puppies as an appetizer to share. Since we were smoking ribs and brisket for 4th of July weekend, it seemed like making hushpuppies was a good idea.
Hush puppies are a really simple recipe consisting of cornmeal, flour, egg, salt and water. Sometimes other items or season is added. Onion, corn bits, jalapeno are popular add ons. Also most modern recipes use milk instead of water.
There are two tricky aspects of hushpuppies: the batter consistency and the oil temperature. If you are going to air fry your hushpuppies, you need to make sure your batter is thick enough to hold its shape when placed into the air fryer. I like the batter looser for frying in oil.
If you are frying in oil you MUST ensure the oil is the right temperature. If the oil is not up to temperature BEFORE you drop in the batter then your hushpuppies will turn out too greasy. If your oil is too hot (YES, this is a thing), the outside of the batter will burn and the inside will be raw. It is also important to use a neutral oil which can take high heat. Sunflower oil is my favorite but regular vegetable oil works well too. Use a thermometer to test the oil temperature a candy or meat one will work but a deep fat thermometer is better if you’re doing this often.
Also keep in mind that when your cold food hits the hot oil this will drop the temperature. So I tend to drop my hushpuppies in when the oil is slightly higher temp than I want. Then I adjust the heat to hold the oil at the right temp.
Lastly, make sure you scoop out your tidbits and put them on a paper towl to remove extra grease. Also remember to season them when they come out as the salt sticks better when they are hot. Enjoy and try not to burn your mouth.