If you're planning on making hush puppies today ...

...don't. Make the below recipe instead.

If you live in the south, chances are good that rather than grilling, you're frying something, either fish or chicken. I will be frying up a mess of cornmeal-crusted catfish that my crazy uncle brought me about a month ago. (Tip: with frozen seafood, thaw them in cool water to which you've added a splash of vinegar.)

The natural accompaniment to fried catfish is hush puppies. But 'pups tend to be heavy. So ...

Getting Above Your Raising Hushpuppies

which you could also call

Deep Fried Jalapeno-Cheddar Gougeres

1/2 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
4 tbsp butter
1 tsp. Salt
4 eggs
finely chopped jalapenos
small cubes of cheese

Heat oil to 375.

Combine the butter and salt with 1 cup of water in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cornmeal and flour all at once, stirring rapidly over medium heat, and cook the mixture until it leaves the sides of t he pan and forms a compact ball. Continue cooking for three minutes longer, mashing the dough against the sides of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and, to cool the dough slightly, either turn it into the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat it for about one minute, or beat it with a sturdy wooden spoon for about two minutes.

Beat the eggs into the dough, one at a time. Continue beating until the dough is smooth and has a satiny look.

Mix in jalapenos and cubes of cheese.

Drop by the tablespoonful into fryer. Not too many; you don’t want to crowd your pan.

Cook til brown all over. (Don’t pull them out when they’re beautifully golden … the inside won’t be done.)