Corn Dog

Corn dogs are American state-fair food pure and simple, and homemade ones beat the freezer aisle by a country mile. The batter is cornbread country: yellow cornmeal, flour, sugar, and a teaspoon of dry mustard that lifts the whole thing past plain. Hot dogs go on sticks, get dipped, and hit the fryer until golden.

Pour the batter into a tall narrow glass instead of using a bowl. The deep narrow shape lets you dip the entire frankfurter to coat evenly in a single dunk. Bowl dipping leaves bare spots and uneven coating that splits open in the oil.

Keep the oil at 375°F (190°C) the entire time. Drop too cold and the batter sucks up grease, drop too hot and the outside burns before the dog inside heats through.

Kitchen Tips

• Pat the hot dogs completely dry before dipping or the batter slides right off
• Insert sticks at least three quarters of the way up the dog so they don’t fall out mid-fry
• Fry one or two at a time so the oil temperature stays steady
• Drain on a wire rack rather than paper towels to keep the bottoms crisp
• Serve hot with yellow mustard and ketchup, never room temp

Variations

• Sub all-beef franks for a smokier, beefier corn dog
• Add ¼ cup shredded cheddar to the batter for a cheesy crust
• Roll the cooked corn dogs in cinnamon sugar for a sweet-savory state-fair dessert