Corny Dogs
Ingredients:
2 cups of yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup of flour plus more for dusting on the hot dogs
1 heaping teaspoon of fresh baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1 egg lightly beaten
2 cups of buttermilk
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or peanut oil
8 hot dogs
Thin sticks with pointy ends (some people use chopsticks, I used sticks designated for candy apples.)
1 quart of peanut oil
Method:
1. Mix the cornmeal, and 1/2 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Beat the egg in the buttermilk and add to dry ingredients.
3. Pour the batter into a tall glass or quart-sized Mason jar.
4. Heat the peanut oil in a large pot or Dutch oven until it gets to 365 degrees.
5. Gently poke the sticks into the hot dogs about half-way, leaving enough sticking out to be a suitable handle.
6. Put some flour on a plate (you can start with 1/ 2 a cup) and roll the hot dog in it until it’s coated (doing this helps the batter stick to the dog).
7. Dip the hot dog into the batter and then add to the oil.
8. Cook for three minutes, turning occasionally.Drain on paper towels.
Serve immediately.
Notes: The best thing about homemade corny dogs is you can jazz up the batter if you wish, with jalapenos or chipotles, and you have control over the dogs you use—you can use turkey, chicken or tofu pups, if you prefer. Or you can get fancy and make a corny dog out of a fancier sausage—it’s up to you!