Hush puppies are savory Southern dumplings made by deep-frying small portions of cornmeal dough. This version replaces the typical cornmeal and wheat flour with flaxseed meal and sesame seed flour for a sugar-free, gluten free treat. They are a terrific accompaniment to any fish or chicken dish, and leftovers make a great snack; just reheat them in a hot oven for a few minutes to bring back the crispness. To make them, you’ll need a deep fryer or a heavy stainless steel pot that’s at least 6 inches deep. We call for soybean oil for frying because it’s safe to cook with at high temperatures and doesn’t boil over easily. When cooking with hot oil, safety is the priority at all times. Lower the hush puppies into the oil carefully, and keep kids and others at a safe distance to avoid burns. Also, be sure to grind the sesame seeds into a fine flour, as any residual whole seeds may pop during frying.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) golden flaxseed meal
- 1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) sesame seed flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or ½ teaspoon New Roots Stevia Sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 3 eggs (5.25 oz / 149 g)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter or margarine, melted ½ to ¾ cup (3.25 oz / 92 g to 5.25 oz / 149 g) finely chopped fresh onion
- Soybean oil, for deep-frying
- In a medium bowl, combine the flaxseed meal, sesame seed flour, baking powder, sweetener, salt, and parsley and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and butter together until thoroughly blended. Stir in the onion. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 minute to make a smooth batter, then mix vigorously for another minute to aerate the batter; if using an electric mixer, mix at medium-high speed with the paddle attachment for 2 minutes altogether, to make a very thick, sticky batter.
- Pour soybean oil into the deep fryer or pot to a depth of 2½ to 3 inches. Heat the oil to 340°F (177°C). Keep a candy or frying thermometer in the oil at all times and don’t let the temperature exceed 360°F (182°C) or drop below 320°F (160°C). Cover a plate with 2 layers of paper towels or place a paper towel on top of or under a wire rack.
- dough and use your finger to carefully slide it into the hot oil to test the oil temperature and cooking time. Fry this first hush puppy for 2 minutes, then turn it over with a slotted spoon, skimmer, or tongs and fry for about 2 more minutes, until rich golden brown and crispy looking. If the total cooking time is longer, check the temperature of the oil; if it’s under 340°F (171°C), increase the heat slightly.
- Begin frying additional hush puppies, using the soup spoon to scoop up 1 heaping spoonful of batter for each and adding as many as fit comfortably without crowding them. Most deep fryers will accommodate about 6 to 8 hush puppies. When the hush puppies are rich golden brown and crispy looking, transfer them to the lined plate or wire rack to cool slightly and drain. Repeat this process until all of the dough is fried. Serve the hush puppies while still hot and crisp.