Just so we're clear, I'm talking about these morsels of heavenly deliciousness, not shoe leather!
Flickr photo by swhall72
Those seventies style dogs might make your feet happy, but some Carolina hushpuppies will curl your toes in ecstasy! I guarantee it!
I decided to blog on the wonder of the hushpuppy a couple of weeks ago when my friend Jen P saw hushpuppies on my barbecue blog, and the pour soul didn't know what they were! Then the Good Lord whispered in my ear, "The World Must Be Educated! So send I you!" (Plus my pal Gina suggested it in a blog comment, so it was unanimous. Kind of. Thanks Gina!)
So, class, let's begin our study. Hushpuppies are little bits of deep fried cornbread dough so tasty that you want to French kiss everyone at your table. Even if you're not French!
Here we have a typical plastic basket of hushpuppies in their native habitat.
Notice the paper underneath, for absorbing excessive greasiness. Notice the containers of whipped spread and honey butter added to the basket. Oh, how I wish I could show you a video of my niece Susanna eating hushpuppies. The girl is practically a professional at the art of butter smearing. Alas, you'll just have to imagine it.
Those particular hushpuppies are finger-like in shape, but they can also be spherical. Like Paula Deen's, here.
Good heavens. What is that dip in the middle? Who dips their hushpuppies, anyway? Paula, you know I love you, but I wonder if you might have gone all Hollywood on us and strayed from your roots somewhat. Still, the recipe is AMAZING. (I do add a tablespoon of sugar, though, to my batter. I like mine slightly sweet and figure that if you're going to fry them, you might as well add sugar too! Who cares about heart disease? Woo hoo! It's hushpuppies!) Hop over here for the recipe and make your family happy. Or just yourself! I won't tell anybody.
Know where the name comes from?
There are plenty of legends. I had always heard that during the Civil War, the Confederate soldiers would keep hidden from the Union soldiers by quieting their dogs with bits of fried cornbread-- hushpuppies. Others say that slaves gave the bread its name. They'd toss it to the dogs when bringing food in from the cookhouse, or feed it to the dogs tracking them during an escape attempt. Still more reasons to love the hushpuppy.
All I have to say is...those lucky dogs!
Flickr photo by mattlehrer
Yum!
Have a wonder-full Wednesday, y'all!
Love, Becky
14 comments:
I ADORE hush puppies. I could eat an entire basket, by themselves, as a meal!
Ah, that is southern fare. You can't find a hush puppy up here without shoelaces!
Re: adding sugar --- lots of Southern cooks add just a pinch or touch of sugar to just about everything, it seems!
Hi Rebecca,
I have never had one, but they look yummy!!!
I will have to try some one day!
Have a great week,
Rosemary
My late mother loved hush puppies, but disliked seafood. Imagine her face when she popped a hush puppy, (from a restaurant buffet) in her mouth, only to discover it was actually a deep fried scallop. Ohh, she was not a happy camper.
I had no idea! Anything with honey butter sounds good to me!
Yum!! Hush puppies! We have a place near us that have the very best hush puppies!
Those look so good! I've never eaten Hush Puppies either. I need to try them:-)
I remember my first experience with hush puppies.
Many, many years ago, I traveled south with my soon to be SIL in her white convertible
mustang. The air force base in Biloxi Mississippi was our destination .
Like Thelma and Louise, (well not quite) we had our fun…
On the second day, we stopped to eat and at the time we had no idea that our lives would be forever
changed with just one bite.
When the food arrived, our handsome young waiter came with a basket of golden things and as he placed them before us he said “These here hush puppies are on the house.
I don’t want any Yankee girls going home without trying the best in the south.”
I was never called a Yankee girl before and at first was taken back and I was not sure if he was talking about the hush puppies or himself as being the best in the south.
As he walked away my soon to be SIL smiled and said, “In his dreams.”
I took a hush puppy and coated it with the butter and for the first time in my life, I closed my eye as I chewed…. I was in Heaven…
Louise
Wow Louise, what a great story! I love it!
Susan, that would be quite a surprise. I'm crazy about scallops so I wouldn't mind, but if you were hoping for a hushpuppy the texture might be shocking.
For you friends who haven't tried them, you really should hop over and get the recipe and give yourself a treat!
Yummm
I can remember when my DH visited America and ate at a seafood restaurant that served these. He STILL thinks that they would taste exactly the same 19 years later!
I visited the Savannah area a few years ago, and I ordered hush puppies at every meal. It was fascinating to discover the shear variety of them!
AH! I found the lovely recipe and thank you for visiting me! I did not have as much to offer as a sophomore or beautiful tiny houses, but I sure love your banner!
I will harden our arteries sometime this week with these babies, lol! Gina
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