18 Nebraskaland • June 2025
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
CATFISH HUSHPUPPIES
Why are hushpuppies called
hushpuppies? One often-told story
tells of a group of anglers or hunters
cooking at camp. In an effort to quiet
their excitable, hungry dogs, the cooks
fried up morsels of cornmeal bread as
a treat, thus hushing the puppies and
quieting their evening.
While most hushpuppy recipes I've
seen are sweet, often enjoyed with
honey or syrup, I decided to make a
savory meat-filled version. This recipe
is perfect for using up those odds
and ends in the freezer or fish that's
slightly freezer burned.
Although traditional hushpuppies
include cornmeal, I skipped it. Instead,
I added sweet corn kernels to the
batter. Use drained canned corn if you
have to, but we all know nothing beats
Nebraska summer sweet corn.
Servings: 2-4
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
•
1½ pounds boneless catfish fillets
•
Salt, to taste
•
Vegetable oil for frying
Batter
•
1 cup all-purpose flour
•
2 tsp. baking powder
•
½ tsp. paprika
•
½ tsp. sugar
•
1 tsp. onion salt
•
¼ tsp. garlic salt
•
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
•
1 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt
•
2 green onions, finely chopped
•
1 large egg, lightly beaten
•
¼ cup sweet corn kernels
•
⅓ cup buttermilk, plus extra
Dipping Sauce
•
½ cup mayonnaise, preferably
Kewpie
•
Hot sauce, to taste
•
5 dashes Worcestershire sauce
•
1 tsp. Cajun/Creole seasoning,
such as Tony Chachere's
•
1 tbsp. honey
1. Season catfish fillets with salt.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and
sear fish until cooked through. Break
up fish into very small pieces and set
aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour,
baking powder, paprika, sugar, onion
salt, garlic salt, cayenne and Lawry's
seasoned salt. Then add chopped
cooked catfish, green onion, beaten
egg and corn. Finally, mix in buttermilk
and stir until a sticky, thick batter
forms. Use more or less buttermilk as
needed.
To test for seasoning, cook a small
dab in a pan with oil and taste. Then
cover the bowl and chill for at least 30
minutes in the refrigerator.
3. Meanwhile, combine dipping
sauce ingredients. Chill until ready to
use.
4. Heat frying oil to 350 degrees
Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a spoon
with oil or cooking spray to prevent
sticking. Use the spoon to scoop and
drop ping-pong-ball-sized fish batter
into the hot oil, and fry until golden
on all sides, flipping as needed. Do not
crowd the pan or fryer. Drain and serve
warm with dipping sauce.
IN THE FIELD
Savory hushpuppies made of catfi sh and sweet corn. JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND
