Crab HushPuppies

Directions

Dough Preparation

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Including shallots, scallions and parsley.Add eggs, buttermilk, and crème fraîche, and stir until mixture just comes together. Add water to the mixture to achieve the desired consistency. Mixture should be sticky and viscous like a bread dough, not thin like a pancake batter.Gently fold in crab meat. Season with salt and pepper.The mixture may dry up slightly as the cornmeal and flour absorb the fluids. It is okay to loosen the batter with additional water.

 Cooking

We recommend using a deep fat fryer, heated to 350 degrees. If using a pan, pour oil into a deep sided skillet, or large sauce pot that can withstand high heat. The oil should be about 2 inches deep within the skillet, able to submerge the hushpuppies completely. Using a thermometer heat the oil to 350 degrees. Remember to not leave the pan unattended as oil can smoke and flash (catch fire) when overheated Either use a small ice cream scoop or your hands to pull apart batter mixture and roll into individual balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Gently drop balls into the oil and let cook until golden brown, occasionally rotating in the hushpuppies so that each side browns equally. Cooking should take about three minutes, depending on the heat from your fryer or cooktop. Remove balls from oil and place a wire rack or paper lined dish to remove excess oil. Quickly season with salt. Hushpuppies should be firm and crisp to the touch, able to withstand a light squeeze.

Sauces

Combine each sauce’s ingredients into a small mixing bowl, stir until thoroughly mixed. Sauces are ready for immediate consumption, but can benefit from chilling for an hour in the fridge to marry the flavors. Use as a side dipping sauce or directly on the plate as an accompaniment to the crab hushpuppies. Due to the use of dairy products, we’d recommend using the sauces within about a week of mixing when refrigerated properly.

A little about our Crab Hushpuppies

Fall 2019 was the debut for this tasty appetizer in the Elliotts kitchen. In this dish, we’re marrying Southern tradition with quintessential coastal cuisine. It’s the perfect representation of North Carolina bringing the sea and the farmland together with locally sourced ingredients. We kick it up a notch with the Sriracha sauce and spicy pickled veg, looking to challenge the palates of our guests with new combinations of flavors and textures.