HUSH PUPPIES

My grandfather Papa Burrell loved to fish. He’d make me and my little sister and cousins squeal as he sat outside cleaning fish right before a fish fry. We would prance and skip around, waiting for a chance to grab one of those deep-fried delights called hush puppies. He’d always hand them over to us and say, “Now hush, you puppies!”

Makes 18 hush puppies

VEGETABLE OIL FOR DEEP-FRYING

½ CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

½ CUP YELLOW CORNMEAL

½ TEASPOON SALT, PLUS MORE FOR SEASONING

½ TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

¼ TEASPOON BAKING SODA

1 LARGE EGG

½ CUP BUTTERMILK

¼ CUP MINCED ONION

¼ CUP SEEDED AND MINCED JALAPEÑOS

1. Pour enough oil into a large cast-iron skillet to come up halfway. Place the skillet over medium heat and heat the oil to 375˚F.

2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

3. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk in a small bowl. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until just moistened. Stir in the onion and the jalapeños. For the lightest hush puppies, let the batter sit for 2 minutes or so before you fry.

4. Working in batches to make sure there’s plenty of room to cook, drop the batter by the tablespoon into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Drain the hush puppies on paper towels and season them with salt. Serve immediately.

SOUTHERN SIMPLE: This batter may seem a little on the wet side, but trust me—that’s what makes these fry up so nice and so light. I sure wouldn’t give these to the dogs.

SOUTHERN SIMPLE: These are even good for a passed-around party snack when you aren’t having a fish fry. Try them with the Hot Ranch Dip that goes with the onion rings.