You can’t have fried catfish (page 106) without hushpuppies! Sometimes I add a few more jalapeños to the mixture for a little extra jolt. There are several stories about how hushpuppies got their name. My favorite is the one where an old southern cook was frying them one day and heard her dog howling nearby, so she gave him a plateful and said, “Hush, puppy!” It might just be folklore, but I like it.

　　

Ingredients

makes 48

　　2 cups self-rising cornmeal (see Note)

　　1 large jalapeño, seeded and chopped fine

　　3/4 cup finely chopped onion

　　2 cups buttermilk

　　8 cups peanut oil, for frying

　　

Step 1

In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, jalapeño, and onion. Add enough of the buttermilk to make a stiff batter. You may not need the whole 2 cups.

　　

Step 2

Heat the peanut oil to 250°F. (If you are making these to serve with fried catfish, just let the oil cool until it reaches 250°F.)

　　

Step 3

Drop the batter into the hot oil by teaspoonfuls. The hushpuppies will turn over in the oil as they cook. They are done when they are brown all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Keep the hushpuppies warm while you fry the remaining batter. Serve hot.

　　

From Gwen

Step 4

The idea for adding jalapeños comes from Herb’s sister, Patty.

　　

Note

Step 5

If you can’t find self-rising cornmeal, substitute 2 cups cornmeal plus 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

　　Reprinted with permission from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours by Trisha Yearwood with Gwen Yearwood and Beth Yearwood Bernard. Copyright © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Trisha Yearwood is a three-time Grammy-award winning country music star and the author of the bestselling cookbook Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. She is married to megastar Garth Brooks.