Keep Hush Puppies From Falling Apart With One Easy Fix

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The Deep South has some pretty epic carbs. And while cornbread is one of the most classic examples of Southern comfort food, the hushpuppy takes the sweet and savory goodness of cornmeal to new heights. A classic hush puppy recipe blends cornmeal with milk, butter, eggs, aromatics, and baking powder to form a thick batter that is then shaped into balls and deep fried. A common issue that arises with hush puppies is compromised structural integrity. So, we consulted Bob Bennett, head chef at Zingerman's Roadhouse, to help you keep homemade hush puppies from falling apart.

According to chef Bennett, "in my experience [disintegrating hush puppies] happens more when the batter is too wet." A visual and tactile indicator that your hush puppy batter is too wet is that it's thin and watery. A hush puppy batter should be thick and stiff, similar to cookie dough. You should be able to easily roll the batter into balls or scoop them with an ice cream scoop, and they should hold their shape when left standing on a plate. If your batter is too thin, says chef Bennett, "this can often be fixed by adding more cornmeal or flour." Flour is the ultimate binding agent that hush puppies need to keep the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in harmony while also thickening the batter. And the golden ratio to memorize for the most tender hush puppies is three parts cornmeal to one part flour.

Even after mastering the golden ratio of cornmeal to flour, you might end up with gritty hush puppies if you don't use the right type of cornmeal. Stone ground cornmeal or any other fine cornmeal is ideal for hush puppies with a fluffy, smooth, and tender interior. While hush puppies are, at their most basic, a simple cornmeal fritter, you can upgrade them with all kinds of extra ingredients. You can add protein like we do with this recipe for Cajun andouille hush puppies stuffed with diced andouille sausage. Elevate hush puppies to steakhouse heights by stirring creamed spinach into the batter; serve creamed spinach hush puppies with roast beef aioli. Make use of your summer harvest by adding steamed yellow squash and zucchini to your hush puppy batter.

Chef Bennett thinks the most important tip for cooking hush puppies is oil temperature. Frying is an exact science that requires precise oil temperatures. If the oil isn't hot enough, your hush puppies will fall apart, no matter how thick the batter. Consequently, chef Bennett says, "having a good fryer oil thermometer and making sure your oil is hot enough [...] will help your puppies hold the right shape and have that crispy outside." We recommend this metal oil thermometer from Craft911. Still, even if you're doing everything right, chef Bennett recommends doing a test hush puppy instead of adding an entire batch to the frying pan.