Name: Homemade Corn Dogs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 cooked frankfurter-style sausages; 8 wooden skewers; 25g plain flour, for coating the sausages; 150g fine cornmeal or fine polenta; 125g plain flour; 1 tbsp caster sugar; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp fine salt; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, optional; 1 large egg; 250ml buttermilk or whole milk; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 1–1.5 litres vegetable or sunflower oil; American-style yellow mustard; Tomato ketchup; Honey mustard, optional

Method

20 mins prep20 mins cook40 mins total

If using wooden skewers, soak them in cold water for 15 minutes, then drain. Pat the sausages completely dry and push one skewer through the centre of each.
Spread the 25g flour on a plate and roll the sausages in it, shaking off the excess. This gives the batter a dry surface to grip.
Whisk the cornmeal, 125g flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and smoked paprika in a large bowl. In a jug, beat the egg with the buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of oil, then stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients to make a thick batter.
Pour the batter into a tall glass or narrow jug, leaving room for dipping. If it thickens while standing, loosen it with a tablespoon of milk.
Heat the frying oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan to 175°C, keeping the oil no more than halfway up the pan.
Dip each sausage straight into the batter, twisting to coat it fully. Let the excess drip away, then lower it carefully into the hot oil.
Fry no more than two at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until puffed and evenly golden. Drain on a rack or kitchen paper, let the oil return to temperature, and serve hot with mustard or ketchup.