Hotdog on a toothpick

UPDATE on October 30, 2008:

Click here for the recipe of real corn dogs.

The proper name is corndog. You can buy them frozen in boxes or you can make your own. They are also sold freshly cooked in parks, amusement centers, malls and supermarket lobbies mostly in small stalls. A favorite with kids, it is basically hotdog dipped in pancake batter then deep-fried until golden brown.

So, why do I call it hotdog on a toothpick. When you buy this snack, frozen or freshly cooked, it is a regular sized hotdog threaded on a bamboo skewer. To cook it that way, you need a deep fryer and so much cooking oil to make sure that the whole batter-dipped hotdog is submerged in hot oil. I do not have a deep fryer or any similar utensil deep enough to hold the whole hotdog. So, I cut each hotdog into thirds, insert a toothpick in each portion, dip them in pancake batter then deep-fry them. It’s the same thing but smaller.

To make this snack, make sure that the hotdogs have thawed completely. Otherwise, the bread will cook while the hotdog may still be cold at the center.

Ingredients :

1 250-g. pack of pancake mix
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. of water
10 regular hotdogs, thawed to room temperature
3 c. of cooking oil
30 wooden toothpicks

Cooking procedure :

Heat the oil in a small sauce pan. I prefer to set the heat to medium.

Mix together the beaten egg, 3/4 c. of water and the pancake mix.

Cut each hotdog into three equal portions. Insert a toothpick into each piece.

To test the temperature of the oil, drop about half a teaspoon of batter into it. If it floats and turns golden, the oil is hot enough. If the batter stays at the bottom for more than 10 seconds, the oil is below the desired temperature. The temperature of the oil is the only tricky part in cooking this snack.

Holding each piece of hotdog by the toothpick, dip each into the pancake batter making sure every part is coated. Drop into the hot oil. You can cook about 3-4 pieces at a time. With a spatula or slotted spoon, let the batter-coated hotdogs roll on the oil for even cooking. When they turn a golden brown, scoop them out and drain on several stacks of paper towels. Repeat until all the hotdog pieces are cooked.

Serve hot.