Hush Puppies!

Kent helping with the crawfish at our SS party!

I know I haven't posted as much lately, but there has been a lot going on around here!  For instance, we've had tons of fun going to several crawfish boils this spring!  We loved going to crawfish boils when we lived in Oxford, but haven't been to many since then.  We went to one at a friend's farm in early spring, one in our neighborhood in May, and then one with our Sunday School friends last weekend - so fun!  We decided to try making a few dozen hush puppies to take with us to our recent SS crawfish boil.  They were a big hit, so I wanted to share the recipe.  These would be great with seafood all summer!

Jalapeno Hushpuppies (By Emeril Lagasse)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1/4 cup minced onions
• 2 fresh jalapenos, minced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk
• Essence, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat the fryer to 365 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, hot sauce, onions, and jalapenos, together. Stir in the eggs and milk. Mix until fully incorporated. Fry 1 tablespoon of the batter at a time. Fry the hushpuppies for 2-3 minutes or until they are golden brown. Stirring constantly will ensure over-all browning. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season with Essence.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup