It’s a Southern Thing 

And by Southern I mean it truly is awesome too! Hush puppies are a delicacy of the South and prone to being served with fish and by golly are they amazing! 

I am from Florida originally. You know, the place that is so South it is North? Why? because most of the people that live there today are from Northern states that go to retire and never be cold again! Florida also has some of the best fresh seafood and fish ever! However, everywhere you go it is just different. 

Here in North Carolina they don’t ask you if you want sweet or non iced tea because well everything is sweet. We go to a great seafood restaurant here where I live where everything is either fried or served with something fried and you may not exactly know what it is but it is fried so people eat it anyway.

The first time I had ever stepped into a seafood restaurant here they served us these fried corn meal dough balls. Seriously, I was beyond confused and I had no idea how to eat them. I found out they were hush puppies overhearing from another table naturally because I did not want to ask my waitress and get that “you’re not from around here sweetheart” look that I still get! I asked my mom and she dipped hers in tartar sauce (not my favorite). So as with everything else I dip them in ranch, which isn’t the best but that is definitely better than butter AKA John’s choice of dipping sauce. 

After the first few times we went my mind was constantly thinking “how can I make these so they are not so artery clogging?” You know making them into good grease balls instead of being served with a side of lard (okay, I am exaggerating a little bit). The point is that these gluten free hush puppies are good and this recipe really helps bring the flavors out of the dough as opposed to masking them! A total win!

Gluten Free Hush Puppies 

1 cup Brown Rice Flour 
1/2 cup Tapioca Starch 
3/4 tsp Xanthan Gum 
1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Corn Meal 
2 Tbsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp coconut palm sugar 
1 Tbsp Baking soda 
2 tsp salt 
2 tsp Dehydrated onion (or 1 small yellow onion chopped fine) 
3/4 tsp Roasted Granulated Garlic 
1/2 tsp Cayenne 
1 1/4 cup Buttermilk (any milk can become butter milk but adding a 1/2 tsp of lemon juice per 1/2 cup and letting it sit for 5 minutes) 
2 eggs 
Coconut oil for frying 

Mix all of your dry ingredients together and set aside. Whisk together your eggs and buttermilk and add into your dry ingredients. Let the batter sit for upwards of at least 30 minutes preferably an hour (no need to chill). To fry use an electric frying pan as it controls temperature better. Place enough coconut oil into the pan to get it about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches deep. Let the oil come to about 300 degrees (between 300-325 degrees). Spoon your batter in Tablespoon balls in the oil. Be careful not to over crowd or your hush puppies will stick together. They will grow once they hit the oil. Wait until they are a nice golden brown on the bottom before flipping (about 2-3 minutes) and then let the other side do the same. place on Paper towels to drain and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. My personal fave is ranch or ketchup!

Seriously, that simple! The first time I made this I couldn’t help but get a slight fishy taste because I am so used to having fish with them, however there is no fishy taste to these hush puppies. Just corn meal and spices (essentially). The flavors of the garlic and onion really shine through and because you are using coconut oil there is less oiliness! If you cannot eat them all you can of course store them in a bag for a couple of days and reheat in the oven at 375 for about 15 minutes. They will crisp right back up. Wait until they are completely cool before storing and the fridge will make them soggy too. They will stay good for about 3 days. 

I would honestly love to know where most people have had hush puppies before! Have you had them ever? I know Cookout (a fast food chain here) has them, but do they have them everywhere? So many question! I have never had one until I moved here and then everything became a fried food haven! Not complaining, dang there is a lot! I have been to Pennsylvania and New York and at the least the part where my family is they do not know. In fact, my grand-parents were down a few weeks ago and they did not know what they were when we took them for fish! 

I think it still blows my mind! 🙂 I have so many questions about so many different foods around just the US let alone the world! I have no idea where to begin! Did you know in Maine they have the Mc-lobster? I am totally unsure about eating that since it is fast food seafood, but it is so different and unique it just blows me away! I just love how different food can be depending on the section of the country or even the world. I could honestly talk about it for hours! 

BUT… I won’t keep you! Just leave me to my thoughts! One question though! 

What is a delicacy where you live? Like Florida = fresh seafood (where I am from at least) I need to know! 🙂 

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Have a great day! 

Deliciously, 
Gabby