Dr. Rufo wrote:
> Dee wrote:
>
>> "mhagen" <mhagen@olympus.net> wrote in message
>> news:v6v9jkd4eeph19@corp.supernews.com...
>>
>>
>>> Snort. Unlike falafel, hushpuppies are inedible and a trick played on
>>> Yankees by southerners. Possibly of use in warfare?
>>
>>
>>
>> Who cooked those hushpuppies? A restaurant or takeout? Never
>> have had
>> decent ones that way. You need some homemade ones:
>>
>> 1 large spoonful of s/r flour
>> 1 large spoonfuls s/r cornmeal
>> 1 medium onion, diced
>> 1 large egg
>> buttermilk to consistency between dough and batter
>>
>> Mix dry ingredients. Add egg and buttermilk; mix well. Drop by
>> spoonfuls into hot oil, deep fry until brown. Serve hot with fish.
>>
>> (Some people make with beer instead of buttermilk, but I prefer the
>> buttermilk.)
>>
>> --Dee

Howard Berkowitz wrote:
> In article <v6vub9pdokgtf2@corp.supernews.com>, "Dee"
> <ke4lfgDELETETHIS@amsat.org> wrote:

<snip>

>> Most restaurant hushpuppes are heavy and dry inside the fried crust.
>>That is what happens if you make a dough you can form in your hands. The
>>"wetter" the batter, the lighter the hushpuppy, balancing light against
>>so
>>thin a batter it won't hold together. Don't forget to use self-rising
>>flour
>>and meal (or add salt and baking powder) and egg, as the combination
>>makes
>>them rise, too. And plenty of onion! Hardest part, to me, is getting
>>the
>>oil hot enough to fry crispy without absorbing a lot of oil, but not so
>>hot
>>that the crust burns before the inside is cooked.
>> After you try it, let me know what you think. Hope it's more to your
>>taste than those "Yankee" hushpuppies.
>>
>>
>
>
> Not traditional, of course, but I wonder if a double cooking technique
> might work. Bake or microwave the interior so it's hot, then deep fry.
> A microwave-convection combination oven might also give good results,
> with a fairly low crisping convection temperature.

The only time I have made hushpuppies I found the best way to judge the
temperature of the oil for frying is the "traditional" Asian technique
of heating the oil and testing it by inserting a chopstick when I think
it's hot enough. Tiny bubbles will form in a tight circle around the
tip of the chopstick immediately when it's the "correct" temperature.
The outsides are crispy and the insides are moist and they do not absorb
very much oil at all. It's a simple and efective technique.

Rufe

"Dr. Rufo" wrote:

> HB> Not traditional, of course, but I wonder if a double cooking technique
> HB> might work. Bake or microwave the interior so it's hot, then deep fry.
> HB> A microwave-convection combination oven might also give good results,
> HB> with a fairly low crisping convection temperature.

Not so good, although you can half cook the items in the oil and return them to the
oil for a quick serve system, this is called oil blanched in fact.

> The only time I have made hushpuppies I found the best way to judge
> the temperature of the oil for frying is the "traditional" Asian technique
> of heating the oil and testing it by inserting a chopstick when I think
> it's hot enough. Tiny bubbles will form in a tight circle around the
> tip of the chopstick immediately when it's the "correct" temperature.
> The outsides are crispy and the insides are moist and they do not absorb
> very much oil at all. It's a simple and efective technique.

That is just about 385 F IIRC for the bamboo to pass gas (bubble in the oil), it is
best if it is a dry chopstick rather than fresh washed and it needs to be inserted
at least 3/4 of an inch into the oil. If you sharpen a chopstick like a pencil you
can gauge the temperature very exactly with only 1/4 of an inch of oil. If it is
cut like a stake (very sharp or acute angle) you can gauge the temperature of 1/8
of an inch but this is difficult at best.

This is the true method, but the hardest part of the cooking is to prevent the

chilling of the oil below that optimal. Light item loading works here. Small
quantities cooked fast, replace with more just in time to keep the oil from
becoming too hot, this is a fast rising curve which is controlled with the food
items. Twice cooked, oil blanched first then refried as needed for service.

Zesto cooking, at its best, is great. Hey, are you going to eat that watch? My, my,
a main spring roll.