A small but mighty snack! Celebrity chef Jason Santos has the perfect recipe to improve your appetizer game – flavorful jalapeño, cheddar and pork hush puppies.
“I love them because they are very easy to make,” said Hell’s Kitchen star, 46, specially share the dish – which is shown in the new cookbook Simple Fancy – in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “They can be used as a passed canapé, a plated appetizer or even as a side dish.”
A hush puppy is a savory-sized savory dish that usually consists of deep-fried cornmeal batter. As a staple in Southern cuisine, they are usually a side dish that can be paired with seafood and other fried foods. What makes sous chef recipes so special is their versatility.
“Use my recipe as your base and taste however you see fit!” The Boston-based restaurateur explains to us.
Santos became the runner-up in the seventh season of Gordon Ramsaycooking competition series. He later returned to the reality show as a sous chef for seasons 19, 20 and 21. He is best known for his restaurant Buttermilk & Bourbon, which serves New Orleans inspired cuisine.
Read on for the hush puppy recipe:
ingredient
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 tsp baking powder
¾ cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
½ tsp baking soda
¼ cup onion powder
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 cup pork
1½ cups grated yellow cheddar
3 cups of milk
3 eggs
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup diced canned pickled jalapeños
Canola oil, for frying
Season with salt and pepper, to taste
Spicy Creole ranch dressing or red remoulade, to serve
instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt, baking soda, onion powder and Cajun seasoning; this is a dry mix.
- In a small bowl, combine bacon bits, cheddar, milk, egg, vinegar and jalapeños; this is a wet mix. The vinegar will curdle the milk a little, which is good.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture all at once, and stir until combined. In a pot, heat the canola oil to about 350 degrees. Using a small scoop, put a scoop of batter into the oil and fry until golden brown and cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with spicy Creole ranch dressing or red remoulade.