Soul Food · Authentic-ish Soul Food
Hushpuppies
148 kcal a serving, against 256 for the traditional version. That is 108 kcal off, or 42%, with 10.6g of protein. Serves 6. 40 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Hushpuppies start as a thick batter of cornmeal, plain flour, baking powder, egg, milk, onion, and a good hit of sugar. You spoon dollops straight into hot oil - usually vegetable - where they puff and brown in about 3 minutes flat. The crust comes from the fryer, the inside from egg and milk. They're sweet, light, and dangerously moreish with anything fried.
What changed, and what each change costs
Deep-frying in oil for baking in a hot muffin tin with a brushing of olive oil
Most of the classic hushpuppy is just batter meeting hot oil. Baking cuts nearly all the fat - after all, it's the absorbed oil that pushes these from a snack to a nap in carb form.
What it costs you. You don't get that shattering crust or the almost creamy fried interior. What comes out of the oven is closer to a miniature cornbread than anything you'd get in a southern diner, but they're still warm, sweet and decent with a bowl of beans.
Whole milk for fat-free Greek yoghurt loosened with water
Swapping milk for yoghurt and a splash of water bumps up the protein and keeps the crumb moist. It makes the batter thicker, though, so you'll have to spoon it in rather than pour.
What it costs you. You lose that barely-there dairy sweetness. The texture is a notch less pillowy, but nothing salt and onion can't distract from.
Egg for egg white
Using just egg white saves fat and gives a little more lift. It also adds more protein for not much change in taste.
What it costs you. You lose a touch of richness, and the crumb is drier than the real thing. You can add a drop of olive oil if it bothers you.
Up the onion and add whey protein powder, cut the sugar
More onion keeps the flavour up while cutting sugar shaves off a chunk of calories. Whey protein adds some heft without turning the crumb rubbery, as long as you don't overdo it.
What it costs you. With less sugar, these are a tad less moreish. And if you over-mix the whey, the texture gets a bit springy. Don't get clever - just mix until smooth.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 256 | 148 |
| Protein | 4.9g | 10.6g |
| Fat | 15.4g | 2.9g |
| Saturated fat | 2.6g | 0.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 26.2g | 21.8g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.9g | 7.2g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Soul Food prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, milk, eggs.
The method is in the book
This is a baked cornbread bite, not a real hushpuppy. I won't lie: if you're craving that fried shell and molten middle, nothing in the oven is going to fool you. But they're still a warm, savoury mouthful and go with anything you'd fry, plus the onion keeps each bite from being too worthy. If you want the full southern experience, find a fryer and go for broke. If you can settle for cornbread in a hushpuppy outfit, this batch will do the trick.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Soul Food, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.