NO FAIL JALAPEÑO CHEDDAR HUSHPUPPIES

Serves 10 - 12

2 cups self-rising cornmeal

1/2 cup self-rising flour

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, finely chopped

1/2 cup corn, fresh or canned

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

1 quart of vegetable or peanut oil

Optional: 4 dashes of Tabasco Hot Sauce

In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper, removing any lumps. In a separate bowl, add onion, jalapeño, corn, cheese, buttermilk, egg, and a few dashes of Tabasco. Mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir well. Allow the batter to stand at room temperature for 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a deep, heavy skillet, or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 F. Make sure there is enough oil for the hush puppies to float. Set a wire cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Drop the batter by tablespoon into the hot oil until golden brown. Remove the hush puppies to the cooling rack and continue frying in batches and sprinkle with extra salt.

About Stacy Lyn Harris

Stacy Lyn Harris is a best-selling cookbook author, blogger, TV personality, public speaker, wife and mother of seven children. She currently lives in Pike Road, Alabama, with her husband Scott and their children. Stacy Lyn regularly appears on cable and broadcast television as a guest chef and sustainable living expert. Her critically-acclaimed “Harvest Cookbook” was published in 2017 and contains many of her family’s favorite recipes, along with stories from her life growing up in the Black Belt and tips she’s learned along the way.