Retro Corn Dogs - The 2009 Comfort Food and Now the Gourmet Version

Suddenly corn dogs, known by some as Pronto Pups, are not only "hot," but they have been elevated from their carnival, street vender or fair food to haute cuisine, as corn dogs are now appearing on menus of upscale restaurants. One LA steakhouse uses Kobe beef hot dogs and serves them with the traditional condiments, another hip joint in West Hollywood has single-bite chorizo corn dogs while others offer lobster corndogs on their menus. Maybe macaroni and cheese has been replaced as the number one comfort food with the corn dog 2009.
The story goes that a couple had a hotdog stand on the beach in the late 30’s and a stormy holiday weekend that could have caused them to go broke turned into a ‘eureka moment’ and the Pronto Pup was born – serendipity on the west coast. While feeding their soggy hotdog buns to the seagulls they decided they needed to find a way to make a dry batter mix so they could cook the buns as needed. The rains may have kept the crowds away that Labor Day almost 75 years ago, but a classic American food was born. It’s basically a hotdog on a wooden stick, coated in batter and deep-fried to a golden brown.

These are nice for children's parties along with plenty of ketchup and mustard for dipping. I've served the mini versions as hors d'oeuvres at parties along with hickory Dijon, bourbon barbecue, cherry mustard, Cajun Parmesan and cheddar chili for dipping.
I served them recently with assorted condiments, different hot dogs or sausages, and different sizes.
It was a fun dinner and everyone squealed when they saw the platter and most exclaimed, “Oh corn dogs, I love them!” From there the stories started and it was a trip down memory lane. They’re easy, fun, and inexpensive so give them a try!
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/3 cups corn meal
2/3 cup flour
12 - 14 hot dogs
Flour for dusting (about 1/2 cup)
Hot Fat for Deep Frying
Wooden skewer sticks
In a large bowl combine the milk, eggs, oil, sugar and salt. Mix it very well. Sprinkle in the baking powder, corn meal and flour. Stir it all up to make a slightly thick batter.Dry the hot dogs off on paper towels and dust with flour, coating them completely. This helps the batter adhere to the hot dogs. Insert sticks into the flour coated hot dogs vertically and set aside.While all of this is going on, it's a good idea to get your hot fat to heating up. You want the temperature to be about 375 degrees. Coat the floured hot dogs with batter. Swirl the hot dogs in the bowl of batter until they are coated, and then drop them into the hot fat. Another way is to scoop some of your batter into a narrow jar or cup which is as tall as your hot dogs are long. Fill the jar or cup about 3/4 of the way full. Dip your hot dog into the batter while you hold onto the stick. Swirl the hot dog to coat it evenly. Be careful or the batter will overflow. Raise the wiener above the cup and let any excess batter drip off. Quickly place the battered dog into the hot fat. The fat will bubble up and cook the outside of the batter, making the corndogs.Only fry a few corn dogs at a time. If the corn dogs crowd each other they don't fry very well. Turn the corn dogs when the bottom side is well browned. Use tongs to remove the cooked corn dogs from the fat. Allow them to drain on paper towels. Repeat the process, coating and frying a few at a time, until all of the corn dogs are cooked.

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