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Jalapeno Hush Puppies are crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy. Basically, they're freakin' awesome and you should make them right away.
I grew up in arid eastern Washington in the middle of nowhere eating a lot of fast food and the occasional random Hawaiian luau feast. Guys, I was not remotely interested in food or cooking. I baked bran muffins in a toasty maker and heated up Hawaiian bread French toast and pizza bagel bites in the microwave. A box of macaroni and cheese was about the extent of my cooking skills.
I learned to cook in Oklahoma. It's sort of right smack dab in the middle of the country, so you get a bit of everything when it comes to American food. There's a hint of Southwest influence, a bit of Tex Mex, and a healthy balance of Southern and Midwestern comfort food. It's the first place I ever went to a restaurant nicer than The Olive Garden. It was really the ideal place to learn about the kind of food I love. Not haute cuisine, but the stuff that makes you feel blissfully comforted. The greasy cheap roadside diner kinda food. You know what I mean. It's delish.
What makes Jalapeno Hush Puppies so awesome?
I first had hush puppies at an Oklahoma Cajun restaurant called Pearl's. I fell in love instantly. In Scotland, no one's ever heard of them, so I make my own. These Jalapeno Hush Puppies are subtly sweet from the creamed corn and just a bit spicy from chopped jalapeno studded throughout.
You can make these as a side dish with fried chicken or fish, or you can serve up a basket of them as a party snack. I love the contrast between the crunchy outside and the fluffy tender inside. You can eat them plain or dip them into something creamy like sour cream with a hint of hot sauce.
Magical Properties of Jalapenos
Although I have yet to find any information strictly about jalapenos, there are some commonly held magical properties of chili peppers in general. I imagine that magical practitioners whose ancestors are from Mexico and other parts of the world where jalapenos are native have a better understanding of the subtleties between various types of chili.
In general though, chili peppers are obviously associated with the element of fire, as well as the planet Mars. Chilies can be used for fidelity and love spells as well as hex breaking. If you're looking to spice things up in a relationship, work with jalapenos or other chilies. This herb can also be used for protection, like creating a ring of fire around you or your home. (Source: Amino Apps)
For more on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.
Tips for making Jalapeno Hush Puppies
You're gonna start out pretty much like making cornbread. Combine your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a separate container, beat together buttermilk, and creamed corn. Then fold the two together and fold in your chopped jalapeno.
To fry these up, clip a candy thermometer onto a heavy pot or dutch oven. Fill it with a couple of inches of oil. You'll want to heat it to around 375 F (190C). Keep a close eye on it as the temperature will drop once you start frying. Use a cookie scoop to scoop your batter into the hot oil. Keep it moving with your tongs. Once it's deep brown on the outside, remove your hush puppies to a wire rack to cool and crisp up.
These are best eaten just a few minutes after they come out of the fryer when they're piping hot, but they'll be good at room temperature as well.
Sometimes you just need to eat something completely awesome. These Jalapeno Hush Puppies are here for you in those moments.
Looking for more awesome party snacks? Try some Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels or this Mexican Spinach Dip.
PrintJalapeno Hush Puppies
Jalapeno Hush Puppies are crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy. Basically, they're freakin' awesome and you should make them right away.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Deep-Fried
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 75 grams all purpose flour
- 71 grams corn meal
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cups buttermilk
- 4.25 ounces creamed corn
- 1 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Get out a pot that is heavy and deep. I used my dutch oven. Clip your candy thermometer to the side of the pot. Pour in vegetable oil until it's a couple of inches deep. Turn the heat under the pan to medium and keep your eye on the thermometer as you're mixing your batter. You want it to get up to 375 F degrees (190 C).
- In a large mixing bowl, add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a separate container, add buttermilk, creamed corn, and jalapeno. Whisk to thoroughly combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together quickly and gently with a rubber spatula, and mix until just combined. Try not to mix for more than 20 seconds. A few lumps are okay. Let the batter rest while your oil continues to heat up.
- Once your oil has reached 375/190, use a scoop to gently add the batter to the oil. I could comfortably cook 4 hush puppies at a time in my pot. You don't want to overcrowd the pan, or you won't get nice even browning.
- Use your tongs to gently flip the hush puppies over in the oil a few times while cooking. Once their dark brown, carefully remove them to a wire rack set over a cookie sheet to cool and crisp up.
- Add more batter to your oil as space becomes available, and keep frying and flipping until you have a pile of delicious hush puppies. Remember to keep an eye on the temperature of your oil throughout. The temperature will drop while cooking, so you'll need to keep adjusting your heat.
- Serve warm plain or with hot sauce spiked sour cream.
Keywords: Jalapeno, Hush Puppies
Recipe slightly adapted from I'm Just Here for More Food by Alton Brown.
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Betty Gulledge says
Can't wait to make the hushpuppies!!!
The recipe sounds awsome.a
Renee says
Thanks. It definitely is awesome!