An Easy Recipe

Our family’s memories from the County Fair usually revolve around food. Once we step foot within those gates, we head straight to our favorite fair food, and that favorite food is corn dogs. There’s nothing better in our book!

Our State and County Fairs only come around once a year, which is way too infrequent for our love of fair food. We’ve tried to duplicate those corn dogs we get at the fair by making the pre-packaged corn dogs from the freezer department at the grocery store. Those corn dogs just weren’t the same. So, of course, we decided to get out the deep fryer and make a batch at home.

Even though some folks may scoff at the nutritional value of corn dogs, that’s really not the central issue here. We eat plenty of healthy food most days, but every once in a while we all need that special treat. Also, because we’re making our corn dogs at home, we can control the ingredients we use.

Consider the hot dog. Years ago you really didn’t have much choice when it came to choosing a hot dog. Now you can buy relatively healthy hot dogs, some vegetarian, some low fat, some made with chicken or turkey, and of course, some still made with beef and pork. Whatever your dietary desires are, there’s probably a hot dog to meet it. You can even choose a hot dog that’s stuffed with cheese. Read the labels and you’ll find out there are healthy options available to you now.

You can also design your own coating. You’ll want to stick with a few basic ingredients, like egg, flour, and cornmeal, but after that, the skies the limit. Throw in some herbs and spices if you want. This is where you can also cut back on salt if you prefer, and eliminate the added sugar. Yes, sugar is often added to pre-packaged corn dogs to get the kiddies to like them even more than they already do.

You also get to choose the oil you use when you make your own corn dogs at home. When you are at the fair, you don’t get to choose what oil they use or how long they’ve been using it. The oil you use should have what’s called high “smoke points”, in other words, it should be tolerant of high temperatures. Normally, you’ll want a clean, clear refined oil such as refined sunflower or safflower oil. Many people also use peanut oil or corn oil. Be sure to read the label to check if it will work for high temperatures.

Be sure to get your oil up to the temperature recommended by your deep fryer. If you are using a heavy skillet to fry your corn dogs, be sure to use a proper thermometer and check that the oil gets up to about 375 degrees before beginning. Fry only a couple corn dogs at a time. Don’t crowd your deep fryer or skillet or the oil will cool down too much and the corn dogs will be left to soak in the oil and you’ll end up with soggy corn dogs. Drain your corn dogs well using absorbent paper or clean flour cloth towels that have been spread on a rack so air circulates underneath. Cool, and you’ll be ready to dig in!

In the middle of winter when the County Fair is just a distant memory, you can recreate those warm, summer nights with a little “fair food.” Gather your goodies and get cooking those corn dogs! What a nice taste of summer!

Making corndogs at home isn’t difficult when you start with some easy and fun food recipes. Check them out today and treat your family tonight!