Is Frying Bad if it's with Quinoa?!

We've made it to Tuesday and what a delightful day it was (still is for some of you?). This weekend my husband and I finally tried a recipe I've been waiting to make! I am a biiiiig fan of certain gloriously fried, unhealthy-but-oh-so-delicious foods, such as hush puppies, and I recently came across a recipe for quinoa hush puppies! I just had to try these bad boys, after my most recent frying experience (mini donuts) went so gloriously well! So I hope your mouth is watering and the wheels are turning as you think of the accompaniments you'll have with these little gems. I served them to my husband with a steak (thank you meat sales at Whole Foods!) with herb butter. Get out your skimmer and let's get frying!

Market Table's Quinoa Hush Puppies with Chile Aioli
Melissa Clark

Ingredients
Hush Puppies:

• 170 grams quinoa (1 cup)
• 1 gram salt (1/4 teaspoon), plus more for sprinkling
• 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
• 90 grams all-purpose flour (3/4 cup)
• 2 grams baking powder (1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped drained capers
• Safflower or peanut oil, for frying

Chile Aioli:

• 2 grams chile powder (1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 anchovy filet
• 1 small clove garlic, minced

Directions

1. Place the quinoa in a large sieve. Add cold water and stir the quinoa with your hand or a wooden spoon. Let the water drain. Repeat at least once. Place the drained quinoa in a medium-size pot. Add 1 cup of water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil with lid on, then turn heat down to a simmer. Simmer quinoa for 12 minutes. Remove pot from the heat and allow quinoa to sit five minutes with the lid still on. Fluff quinoa with a fork and spread out evenly on a small rimmed pan to cool.
2. In a bowl, combine the cooled quinoa with the remaining hush puppies ingredients except for the frying oil. Mix until the batter comes together.
3. Heat a pot with 2 inches of oil. It is hot enough when a pinch of batter thrown in sizzles (350 degrees). Carefully spoon heaping tablespoons of batter into the oil, about 5 at a time, and fry 2 to 3 minutes, flipping occasionally with a slotted spoon or wire spider, until crisp and golden brown. Place the fried hush puppies on a tray lined with paper towels and immediately sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all the hush puppies are fried.
4. To make the chile aioli, combine the spices, mayonnaise, anchovy and garlic in the bowl of a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. Serve with the fried hush puppies.