Hot Dog Provencale

Give the humble hot dog the Provencale treatment: simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce built on crispy bacon and caramelized onions. It sounds unlikely, but it works. The franks absorb the smoky, tomatoey sauce as they simmer for 15 minutes, and you end up with something that tastes a lot more sophisticated than its ingredients suggest.

The bacon fries first until crisp, then the onion and garlic cook in the rendered fat. Drain most of the grease before the tomatoes go in, but leave a tablespoon or two. That bacon fat is flavor. The tomato sauce simmers for about 10 minutes to thicken and concentrate before the hot dogs join.

This is a one-skillet meal you can have on the table in under an hour.

Kitchen Tips

• Drain most of the bacon fat, but keep a little for flavor. Too much grease makes the sauce oily.
• Simmer the tomato sauce before adding the hot dogs. The sauce needs time to thicken so it coats the franks instead of being watery.
• Cover the skillet once the hot dogs go in. The trapped steam helps them heat through evenly.
• Score the hot dogs lightly with a knife before simmering. This lets the sauce penetrate and adds more surface area for flavor.

Variations

• Use smoked sausages or bratwurst instead of hot dogs for a heartier version.
• Add a splash of red wine with the tomatoes for more depth.
• Serve over mashed potatoes or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.