AARP Hearing Center
We asked chefs across America to discuss their local food scenes and share a favorite recipe. Ricky Moore, 56, owner of Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham, North Carolina, chose this dish.
Ricky Moore’s Hush-Honeys
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 tablespoon ground fennel, toasted
1 tablespoon ground coriander, toasted
1 tablespoon dried ground lemon peel or freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 cups fine polenta or fine cornmeal
1 cup “00” flour (or ½ cup all-purpose flour, plus ½ cup fine cornmeal)
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup canned or frozen creamed corn
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
1 medium yellow onion, grated
Canola oil, for frying
8 tablespoons honey
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the fennel, coriander, lemon peel or zest, and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the polenta, flour (or flour and cornmeal), sugar, baking powder and the remaining salt.
In another bowl, whisk the sour cream, creamed corn, hot sauce and grated onion. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
Fill a 6-quart Dutch oven with 2 inches of canola oil. Heat the oil to 375°F.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a ¾-inch round tip. (A resealable plastic bag with a snipped corner works in a pinch.) Keep a pair of scissors nearby.
Working in batches, pipe 3-inch logs of batter into the hot oil, cutting each log with scissors. Fry until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per batch.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the hush-honeys to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter.
While still warm, toss the pieces with the fennel-spice mixture. Drizzle with honey and serve immediately.
