Mush, glorious Mush

[AlohaDawg]

To prevent the mod squat from kicking me in the 'nads,  I'm placing this post here.

I'm not sure what mush is, exactly.

Well, if you have had either polenta or a tamale, you have pretty much had mush. The inside of a tamale is a lot like mush and polenta is, I think, almost exactly like mush.

Here is a recipe for mush. It's good lots of ways, Ash mentioned frying it up in the sausage leavings, you can also put some sausage gravy on it, or  or even milk and sugar like grits.

You can mix in seasonings or small diced veggies (peppers would be good) and mold it in rounds before setting it up and it can be a dinner side dish. Or bake it in the oven. This is astonishingly versatile stuff.




Fried Cornmeal Mush

    * 2 3/4 cups water
    * 1 cup cornmeal
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 1 teaspoon sugar
    * 1 cup cold water

Bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil in saucepan. Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Gradually add cornmeal mixture to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring frequently. When thickened, cover, turn heat to lowest settings, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Pour into a small loaf pan. Cool then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.

To unmold the cornmeal mush, loosen edges with a spatula. Turn out onto a cutting board. Cut into 1/2-inch slices, dip into extra cornmeal. Fry in a small amount of hot bacon drippings or a combination of oil and bacon drippings. Turn to brown both sides. Serve with butter and hot syrup. Delicious with bacon and eggs, too. Wrap unused cornmeal mush in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.

[slink]

I can't stand polenta. Flavourless, bad texture... Nah.

Cous-cous on the other hand, is one of my all time favourite things.

[Va]

I can't stand polenta. Flavourless, bad texture... Nah.

Cous-cous on the other hand, is one of my all time favourite things.

Why would you even compare polenta to cous-cous?  I suspect you have been given Bad polenta.

[slink]

Why would you even compare polenta to cous-cous?  I suspect you have been given Bad polenta.

Because they are made of the same stuff.
And no, it was considered good polenta by everyone else who eats it. I just add it to the list of other scary things my father eats - he is from the North of England, and thus is known for eating things that terrify most mortals.

[Va]

Why would you even compare polenta to cous-cous?  I suspect you have been given Bad polenta.

Because they are made of the same stuff.

Cous-cous and polenta are not remotely made of the same stuff.

cous·cous  
n.

   1. A pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina.
   2. A North African dish consisting of pasta steamed with a meat and vegetable stew.


po·len·ta  
n.

    A thick mush made of cornmeal boiled in water or stock.


Cous-cous is basically littly tiny pasta.  It is made of wheat.  Polenta is made of corn.  It's almost like really, really soft cornbread.  It's like corn bread pudding, that's what it's like.

If someone tried to give me polenta-like cous-cous or cous-cous-like polenta, I would be very unhappy.

[slink]

It's like corn bread pudding, that's what it's like.

If someone tried to give me polenta-like cous-cous or cous-cous-like polenta, I would be very unhappy.

Well, they are certainly not similar when I am offered either, I just thought they were both semolina based. But I hate most things that are purely there to soak up another flavour.
I hate when bread is used to do that, and when polenta is.
Cous-cous on the other hand, I prefer to be cooked plain (without pine nuts or fruit and vegetables in) but then to get the flavour of the tagine or whatever.

[AugustWest]

Why would you even compare polenta to cous-cous?  I suspect you have been given Bad polenta.

Because they are made of the same stuff.

Cous-cous and polenta are not remotely made of the same stuff.

cous·cous  
n.

   1. A pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina.
   2. A North African dish consisting of pasta steamed with a meat and vegetable stew.


po·len·ta  
n.

    A thick mush made of cornmeal boiled in water or stock.


Cous-cous is basically littly tiny pasta.  It is made of wheat.  Polenta is made of corn.  It's almost like really, really soft cornbread.  It's like corn bread pudding, that's what it's like.

If someone tried to give me polenta-like cous-cous or cous-cous-like polenta, I would be very unhappy.

So, I guess you didn't appreciate my cous-cous/grits comparison either?

I have seen that Little (L'il?) Rascals short.  It is a classic.  I have not eaten mush, though I would be receptive to it.  We make cornbread with our cornmeal around here.

[AlohaDawg]

I think I pointed out the exact same thing (problems comparing couscous to grits) in the other thread.

How could only ONE of you have seen that classic Little Rascals short??

[Va]

So, I guess you didn't appreciate my cous-cous/grits comparison either?

If someone tried to feed me cous-cous that even remotely resembled grits, I would take a mouthful and spit it in their face.

[Carlos del Vaca]

I just came back from a couple days at the beach, and had a nice seafood meal.  Which prompts me to say:  Hush puppies fuck*ng RULE.  Just deep-fry your cornmeal mush and everything will be fine.

[wombat]

Oh yes, hush puppies.

Was this a Delaware or Maryland beach, carlos?  If so, I want to know where did you eat those pups.

[St_Zartan]

If someone tried to feed me cous-cous that even remotely resembled grits, I would take a mouthful and spit it in their face.

Only one thing to do after making a bold statement like that:

AIR GUITAR

[Va]

Only one thing to do after making a bold statement like that:

AIR GUITAR

I play air bass, my man.

[Asherdan]

How could only ONE of you have seen that classic Little Rascals short??

NOTE: Maybe they haven't seen it 'cause they had more viewing choices.  When I was...anyways, at 6 am Sundays it was Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels followed by an hour of Our Gang shorts.

"Re-mark-able!"

If you remember that you get a...nothing

And just to show that I don't eat just any ol' thing, I find Hush Puppies to be grease sotted abominations that even gravy can't entirely salvage.

[AlohaDawg]

OK, what you need Ash (and this is one late post response, but someone somewhere else went and said Grits, so here we are) is a good Hush Puppy recipe. Gravy is NOT for hush puppies! Shame on you.

Hush puppies should be a little oniony, have a nice, steamy, moist texture, crisp outside.

Try this, it adds golden corn and some spice to the party:

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels or drained kernel corn from can
chopped jalapeno peppers or mild chiles, as desired

Deep fry at 375 til they are just past Golden Brown, they will still be delicious.

Your recollection of grease-besotted abominations can only mean that the oil temperature was too low and the outside didn't fry up nice and crisp before the oil started absorbing into the hush puppies. That would make them horrible.