Hush puppies are one of those foods that are simply irresistible. I’m always reminded of my childhood, when my grandparents would take us to Myrtle Beach and we would get fried seafood with hush puppies. Adding zucchini, corn and basil gives them great flavor and texture.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 5 min |
| Active: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, plus more, torn, for serving
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 lemon, zested, plus 1 tablespoon juice
- Hot sauce, to taste
- 1 medium zucchini, grated
- 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk, well shaken
- 1 large egg
- 3 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1 ear corn, kernels removed
- 1/4 cup (not tightly packed) fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
- Canola oil, for frying
- Sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- For the lemon basil sauce: Combine the basil, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon zest and juice and hot sauce in a blender. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This can be made a day in advance.
- For the hush puppies: Place the grated zucchini in a clean dish towel and wring out any excess moisture. (You should have about 1 cup zucchini.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, kosher salt, sugar and garlic powder. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Make a well in the dry ingredients and begin to gently stir in the buttermilk mixture (I use a wooden spoon). Do not overmix. Gently stir in the zucchini, scallions, corn and basil.
- Heat several inches canola oil in a Dutch oven to 350 degrees F. (There should be enough oil for the hush puppies to be fully submerged).
- Use a 1-inch ice cream scoop to drop the batter into the hot oil in batches. Fry until deep golden brown, about 4 minutes. While the hush puppies are hot, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and additional torn basil. Serve immediately with the sauce.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 503 |
| Total Fat | 37 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 31 mg |
| Sodium | 421 mg |
Reviews
Can air fry them or bake in oven and for how long and what temperature
this was SOOOOO good! follow the recipe exact. the basil makes it fresh and different! For those who do not like basil then this recipe is not for you
Delicious!
I made these per the recipe. The only change was the shape. I did flat fritters instead of round balls.
Not worth me ever making again. We ate them, but all leftovers were thrown.
Very disappointing .
Not worth me ever making again. We ate them, but all leftovers were thrown.
Very disappointing .