Tonight I am the World’s Best Mom . . . because I made Hush Puppies for dinner. My kids didn’t suspect my ulterior motive (testing a wine pairing), so they’re very busy making me a crown and sash.
I came across this recipe for Hushpuppies with Remoulade in Food & Wine Magazine. Almost anything paired with Bubbles is a hit in my book, so when I saw the recipe, I knew these puppies would be on my table tonight!
The batter is a breeze to make . . . but it’s on the runny side. The directions call for it to be refrigerated for an hour before frying. After an hour and a half in the cooler, the batter was still runny. You don’t so much drop the batter into the oil as you drizzle it . . .
Honestly, this is a bit of a mess. Be sure you don’t have your oil too hot — my first batch of puppies cooked too fast, and ended up Cajun on the outside, raw in the middle. Fail.
So I turned down the heat and let the rest of the puppies cook lower and slower. Better.
The remoulade was easy-peasy . . . and delicious! Truth be told, it’s better than the hush puppies. If you aren’t familiar with remoulade, it’s a mayonnaise based sauce with origins in France. Sometimes, I think all delicious sauces were invented in France. I didn’t have any whole-grain mustard in my pantry, so I left it out. Luckily, remoulade is a forgiving condiment — it still tasted fantastic!
For the Sparkling Wine, I used Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley. One of my go-to Bubblies!
Pairing Notes: If you can look beyond a handful of undercooked puppies, the flavors are a home run! The Hushpuppies and Remoulade are pretty salty (good salty), and salt and Bubbles go together like peanut butter and jelly. I could eat these all night.
Salud!
