Spicy Crab Balls

Crab Puppies

3/4 cup buttermilk ( or plain milk, or you could use beer)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self rising corn meal
1 lb crab meat - drained and picked. (Get all the bits of shell out)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
5 green onions, chopped ( or about a fourth cup of regular old onion, chopped fine)
2 1/2 tsp hot sauce - red or green ( or maybe one minced jalapeno)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
oil for frying - enough to deep fry - these babies need to be able to float

1. Mix together the buttermilk and eggs.
2. Add the corn muffin mix.
3. Fold in the crab, corn, onions, and hot sauce ( or jalapeno)
4. Add salt and pepper- stir.
5. Heat oil to about 330 degrees
6. Drop the crab mixture by heaping tablespoons in to oil and fry for 2-3 minutes
or until golden brown.
7. Move 'em onto a paper towel lined dish, and lightly salt
8. Serve with additional hot sauce.


These are a lot like the Crab Balls from Joe's Crab shack, which is a good place to eat, but they don't have hush puppies. I find that to be almost blasphemous to be a fish place in "The South " and not have hush puppies, which were meant by God to go with fish. Anyway, these are good and this is a little variation on a recipe from Paula Deen. Her recipe used corn muffin mix, which has SUGAR in it, which I just won't use because, to my knowledge, no one in my family "evah put sugah in theyah corn bray-ud." I use the muffin mix for corn pudding, which is sweet anyway, but I just think this is better without the sugar. I have made these with the hot sauce which was fine, but my preference is to use a finely minced jalapeno. The thing is, if you use the jalapeno, your eyes will be on fire later when you wipe away the tears you cry over how good these are. Just wash your hands after you mince the pepper up and be sure and take out the seeds and pith if you are wimpy about things being hot.