Alabama Hush Puppies

It would be hard to find a Southern dish that admits to as many interpretations and backgrounds as does the hush puppy. We are informed on good authority that the hush puppy came from Georgia. Or Mississippi. Certainly Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings put it in the Southern lexicon in Cross Creek Cookery. The theory that the term started as a mixture of hash and batter called "hash puppy" has few adherents. Others say some fishermen were sitting by their campfire after dining on fried fish when their huntin' dawgs started to whine. The men fried some cornbread batter in the skillet they had used for frying the fish and tossed it to the dogs. "Hush, puppies," the men said. They were nice men. Did they put chopped onion in the batter? History, even gossip, is silent on that point. No matter the true etymological origins of the hush puppy, these Alabama Hush Puppies have become a true Southern classic. Use a small ice-cream scoop to easily drop the batter into the hot oil. Serve them alongside fried fish and dip them in tartar sauce for a wonderfully tangy flavor. These nostalgic fried morsels will be favorites amongst kids and adults alike.