"Gussied up" corn dodgers!

[Blackwater]

My mom used to be quite a cook, and she was never afraid to try something new she heard or read about. One of the things that I had misgivings about, but later came to love, was her "gussied up corn dodgers." She heard or read something somewhere about adding some stewed tomatoes to hushpuppy mix. She was intrigued enough that the whole family got to try it. It was actually GOOD to be one of her "guinea pigs!" Anyway, she dumped a can of stewed tomatoes into her corn dodger mix as I watched in apprehension. She made great corn dodgers, and I was addicted to them, so viewed this "new" mix with great suspicion. Well, suspicion or not, they turned out to be a real treat, and I actually liked them better than standard mix stuff! They go great with fried fish and some bread & butter pickles, and some grits & butter. She liked to make her dodgers a bit more "loose" than many, which tended to produce crunchier dodgers, which I also like.

Since then, I've "gussied up" my dodgers with all manner of things. Onions, of course, goes without saying. They're not dodgers without onion! But then there's bell pepper, whole kernel corn, and just about anything you like that tends to go good with corn. Corn meal, after all, is just finely ground corn, isn't it? So anything that'll go with corn should taste just fine, and anything that'll go with fish will go with them when they're to be served with fish.

Try the tomatoes thing. You can just make up a few in a batch with the addition to try them. From there, just let your imagination and taste buds be your guide. Corn's good, but more complex recipes can really send your taste buds into overdrive. Enjoy!

[jroc]

Just trying to figure out what "corn dodgers" are. Are they like hushpuppies, cornbread or what? Are they fried or baked? Just wondering. jroc

[MaryB]

Corn muffins in a little corn shaped pan...

[Horace]

Just trying to figure out what "corn dodgers" are. Are they like hushpuppies, cornbread or what? Are they fried or baked? Just wondering. jroc

Watch John Wayne in "True Grit"

Horace

[fryboy]

Just trying to figure out what "corn dodgers" are. Are they like hushpuppies, cornbread or what? Are they fried or baked? Just wondering. jroc

if you've ever seen the corn shaped alloy ingots ... we can only hope that it was a rusted ingot mold
some make them into roundish balls ( aka hush puppies - these are usually deep fried however as opposed to baked but eh either way is good ) and of course the lil corn shaped stix , i've seen pans shaped in all manner of things from plain stix to hearts etc , they can ( as noted ) be baked or fried and while traditionally southern food they go good anywhere :P basic recipes vary , the first one is what some would guess is close to the ones in true grit ( mmm grits )

Corn Dodgers

2 cups cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups boiling water
Bacon Grease for frying

In a large skillet heat the Bacon Grease slowly over medium heat to approximately 375 degrees.
Mix the cornmeal and salt in a medium bowl. To this, stir in the boiling water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a thick mush.
Scoop approximately a palm-sized amount of mixture into your hands and form into balls.
Fry, rolling in the skillet until golden brown.

and one from cooks.com

http://www.food.com/recipe/corn-dodgers-15659

• 2
  cups yellow cornmeal
• 1
  teaspoon salt
• 1
  tablespoon melted butter
• 2
  cups boiling water

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400-degrees, and ready an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Blend the cornmeal and salt.
• With a wooden spoon, mix in the butter and enough boiling water to make a dough that is completely moist, but firm enough to hold its shape.
• Drop heaping spoonfuls of the batter on the cookie sheet and pat lightly into mounds.
• Bake 20- 25 minutes, until golden-crisp on the outside.
• Serve straight from the oven.

variations and possibilities are endless ( and example ? i loves a wee bit of garlic in mine )

[Lance Boyle]

That sounds real good.

I make mine to go with fish too.

I do the white corn meal and flour 50/50, milk, fresh minced onion, salt, sugar, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne which can be from a subtle/almost undetectable to wow. Even at the subtle level it adds a lot of flavor that you can't put your finger on.

I have on of those small ice cream scoops almost the size of a golf ball with the lever to kick out the batter. Works great to drop into the oil (carefully of course).

Chopped stewed tomato would be a nice flavor in the mix.

[jroc]

Yes sir they do sound good. I'm going to get my wife to make some. Always liked hushpuppies but never have made them at home.

[Shiloh]

Just trying to figure out what "corn dodgers" are. Are they like hushpuppies, cornbread or what? Are they fried or baked? Just wondering. jroc

Like hushpuppies but a little harder. They can get hard as a rock if to dry.

Shiloh