Golden crispy cornmeal balls (Print version)

Golden cornmeal balls with crispy crust and soft, flavorful inside, ideal as a Southern side.

# What You Need:

→ 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Whisk together cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if using in a large bowl.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk and egg together until homogeneous.
03 - Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
04 - Fold in diced onion and chives or scallions if desired, then allow the batter to rest for five minutes.
05 - Preheat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottom pot to 350°F (175°C).
06 - Using two spoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into hot oil 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 hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're ready in 30 minutes and somehow taste like you've been cooking all day.
  • That contrast between the shatteringly crisp outside and the tender, almost cake-like inside is addictive.
  • Once you nail the batter, you'll find yourself making them for everything, not just fish.
02 -
  • If your batter is too thick, the centers won't cook through before the outside burns; if it's too thin, they'll fall apart in the oil, so aim for something between pancake and thick cookie dough.
  • Never skip the 5-minute rest—it sounds like nothing but it makes the difference between hushpuppies that are slightly gummy and ones that have that perfect tender crumb.
03 -
  • An ice cream scoop takes the guesswork out of consistent sizing, which means they cook evenly and look beautiful on the plate.
  • If you don't have buttermilk, mix regular milk with lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes; it's not quite the same but it works in a way that feels like real cooking, not cheating.
Go back