Golden Crispy Cornmeal Balls (Printable version)

Crispy cornmeal balls with savory notes, perfect as a Southern-style side or accompaniment to seafood dishes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup yellow medium grind cornmeal
02 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
04 - ½ teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1 teaspoon sugar
06 - 1 teaspoon salt
07 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

→ Wet Ingredients

09 - ¾ cup buttermilk
10 - 1 large egg

→ Aromatics

11 - ½ cup finely diced yellow or sweet onion
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallions (optional)

→ For Frying

13 - Vegetable oil, approximately 6 to 8 cups for deep-frying

# How-To Steps:

01 - Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, black pepper, and optional cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk and egg until just blended.
03 - Add wet ingredients to dry and stir gently until combined, avoiding overmixing.
04 - Fold in diced onion and optional chives or scallions, then let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
05 - Preheat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy pot to 350°F (175°C).
06 - Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into hot oil using two spoons or a small ice cream scoop, frying in batches to prevent overcrowding.
07 - Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally, until hushpuppies are crisp and golden brown.
08 - Remove hushpuppies with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're crispy outside with a tender, almost pillowy center that somehow stays that way even after cooling a bit.
  • Twenty-four hushpuppies means you can eat a few warm, share some with neighbors, and still have leftovers for midnight snacking.
  • The whole project takes less than half an hour, which is honestly remarkable for how impressive they feel.
02 -
  • Do not skip the five-minute rest after mixing; this isn't wasted time, it's when the magic happens and the batter becomes less fragile.
  • Wet your spoon or scoop between each drop, or the batter will stick and you'll waste half your mixture trying to unstick it from your utensil.
  • The moment the oil temperature drops below 340°F, pull everything out and give it a few minutes to heat back up—fishing out half-cooked hushpuppies is frustrating and results in greasy disappointment.
03 -
  • If your buttermilk isn't available, mix regular milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar per quarter cup and let it sit for five minutes—it won't be identical but it gets you 95% of the way there.
  • Save the oil after frying (once it's cooled completely) and strain it through cheesecloth; you can reuse it once more for hushpuppies or other fried foods, though it gets darker and a bit tired after that.
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