Buttermilk Hushpuppies

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped scallions, optional
• Oil for frying
• Remoulade Sauce:
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh juice from one lemon
• 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallions

Directions

1. Make the remoulade sauce by mixing all of its ingredients together in a bowl until smooth and evenly blended. Taste, adjust the seasoning as needed, and put it aside.
2. For the hushpuppies, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Stir in the onion, buttermilk, melted butter, hot sauce, and scallions, if you’re using them, stopping as soon as the batter comes together.
3. Add oil to a heavy duty pot until it is 2 inches deep. Warm it over medium high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F. In batches, shape the dough gently into golf ball-sized rounds, then use a slotted spoon to ease them into the hot oil. Don’t pack the pot too full. Fry until the hushpuppies are golden and cooked in the center, turning them with a wooden spoon so they brown evenly, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the hushpuppies warm, either on their own or with the remoulade for dipping.