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08/07/2003 Archived Entry: "Corn Dogs"

Every summer I get asked about corn dogs—how to make them, where to buy them. It’s an unbelievable seasonal occurrence. My mind does not turn to corn dogs in August it turns to Mai Tais.

I do, however, know where to buy a good corn dog: the Nedick’s stand in Penn Station. Don’t tell me Nedick’s ain’t what it used to be, because it’s better now. I never liked the old Nedick’s flaccid, pale, bland skinless pork dog. I much prefer today’s spicier beef dog. Anyway, they fry them inside a sweetish batter and they’re not greasy. What more could you want from a corn dog?

I haven’t verified the following history or tried the recipe but I found this at topsecretrecipes.com. It sounds possible and the recipe looks workable. Todd Wilbur is the site’s founder and has made a career out of figuring out how to replicate commercial food products and restaurant dishes. His books, such as Top Secret Recipes, More Top Secret Recipes, and Top Secret Restaurant Recipes, are always an entertaining read.

One hot summer day in 1946 Dave Barham was inspired to dip a hot dog into his mother's cornbread batter, then deep fry it to a golden brown. The first Hot Dog on a Stick was born, and Dave soon found a quaint Santa Monica, California location near the beach to offer his new creation along with a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade and mustard on the side.

The chain uses only turkey dogs for this treat, so we'll do the same. Just be sure you find the shorter dogs, not "bun-length." This time size does matter. For the stick, simply snag some of the disposable wood chopsticks from a local Chinese or Japanese food restaurant next time you're there.

Corn Dogs on a Stick
Makes 10 corn dogs

2 cups flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups fat-free milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
10 turkey hot dogs
8-10 cups of vegetable oil
5 pairs of chopsticks

1. Preheat oil in a deep pan or fryer to 375 degrees.

2. Combine the flour, corn meal, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.

3. Combine the milk and egg yolks to the dry ingredients and mix with an electric mixer on high speed until batter is smooth.

4. Dry off the hot dogs with a paper towel. Jab the thin end of a single chopstick about halfway into the end of each hot dog.

5. When the oil is hot, tip the bowl of batter so that you can completely coat each hot dog. Roll the hot dog in the batter until it is entirely covered with batter.

6. Hold the hot dog up by the stick and let some of the batter drip off. Quickly submerge the hot dog in the oil and spin it slowly so that the coating cooks evenly. After about 20 seconds you can use a lid to the deep fryer or pan to put weight on the stick, keeping the hot dog fully immersed in the oil. You can cook a couple dogs at a time this way. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until coating is dark brown. Turn them once or twice as they cook. Drain on paper towels while cooling, and repeat with remaining hot dogs.