Meet the Hushpuppy Queen
Delia Livsey’s hushpuppies are a dream.
Deep fried a perfect golden brown, the cornmeal batter is light and airy, nearly melting on the tongue.
If you ask her what the secret is, she’ll laugh and close her mouth tight.
The secret is safe with her.
For 40 years, Livsey has been making the southern treat at Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge on Dixon Boulevard, the ritual of making hushpuppies so ingrained in her memory she doesn’t have to look at a recipe and knows the measurements by heart. She skillfully drops the batter in the hot oil and flips them at just the right moment to perfectly brown both sides.
A Shelby native, Livsey said “Mama B” as Lyttle Bridges, wife of Red Bridges was called, hired her fresh out of school.
“It was the first job I ever had, and I stayed on this long,” Livsey said. “I love the whole crew.”
She said her co-workers are just like family to her, and she expects to retire from the business.
Although she can make just about anything in the kitchen, hushpuppies are her specialty, so much so, she’s become known as the “Hushpuppy Queen.”
A post on the famed barbecue restaurant’s Facebook page honoring Livsey is a testament to her trade and attracted more than 100 comments.
Several people said they were the best hushpuppies they’d tasted. Some said they were the best in North Carolina and even in the world.
Natalie Ramsey, Lyttle Bridge’s granddaughter, said the two women were very close and she remembers walking into the kitchen and finding the two of them cooking up frog legs.
She said Livsey’s hushpuppies are much sought after and she recently had someone drive from Lake Norman, order a large order and eat them in the parking lot while they were hot and fresh.
She is also the teacher and has passed on her knowledge to other employees.
Although Livsey said she enjoys cooking in general, making the hushpuppies is her favorite part.
Reporter Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at rsitzes@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Meet the Hushpuppy Queen
