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Cajun Hush Puppies with Fried Green Tomato Dip

A Slightly sweet and spicy corn meal based appetizer
Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Cajun

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup chopped scallion
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 t baking powder
  • 1 t chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 t chopped garlic
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 2 cups cornmeal
  • 2 T sugar
  • 2 T melted butter plus extra for sauteing onions
  • 2 each eggs beaten
  • 1 t cayenne pepper
  • 1 t kosher salt
  • Oil to Fry
  • For Green Tomato Dip
  • 1 cup diced sweet onion
  • 1 t chopped garlic
  • 1 cup sliced green tomato
  • 1 T Diced Hot pepper such as cerrano
  • 1/2 bottle beer
  • 1 T Sugar
  • 2 T Chopped Scallion
  • oil to fry and saute
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 t cajun seasoning

Instructions
 

  • Mix all the dry ingredients for the Hush puppies in a mixing bowl
  • In a separate mixing bowl whisk the eggs and add the buttermilk
  • Saute the onion and garlic in a little butter until translucent. Then add in the scallions and 2T more butter
  • Fold the eggs, buttermilk, onion, scallion, and butter into the dry ingredients until a batter forms.
  • Make the dip. Heat oil in a pan, add in onions and gralic. Saute until translucent
  • add sugar and then the green tomatoes and chilis. Heat over high heat until they start to break down.
  • Add the beer and cook it down by 1/2 the volume.
  • Season with cajun spice, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and add the scallions.
  • Blend the sauce in a blender or with a stick blender.
  • Heat a neutral oil in a deep pan or fryer. Spoon or scoop in the hush puppy batter. They will float to the top. Keep an eye on them and turn them over with a spoon or tongs to cook both sides evenly. When they are a nice golden brown, remove them and let dry on paper towels.
  • Serve hot with the dip on the side.

Notes

You don't have to do the green tomato dip if you don't want to. I think it's a nice southern touch. You could serve with a creole spiced mayonnaise, remoulade, or an aioli of some sort. You can adjust the seasoning to your taste. This version is a little spicy, but not overly. A mayonnaise based dip cuts the heat. I skipped the mayo here because our next course is going to have mayo in it and I thought it might be a bit much.
Also, I used butter here. Some people like to use bacon fat. You can do whichever you prefer. You can also use this as a base to add other things into it: lobster, crayfish, shrimp, spicy sausage. I find a hush puppy batter a little heavy, so this recipe is just with onion. Some fresh grilled corn would also make a nice addition and keep it meat free. You would have to substitute eggs, buttermilk, and butter to make it vegan.