It’s party season and this is one of my favorite which can be served in many ways. Nothing like these “dogs” for football games or “pups” for a nice buffet.

Ready

• Peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 (8.5oz) can cream-style corn
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch, for dredging
• 8 hot dog*

Set

• Bamboo skewers or toothpicks
• Deep fryer or high-sided cast iron skillet
• 2 Medium bowls
• Pie pan or shallow bowl
• Plate with paper towels
• Tongs
• Thermometer (for oil)

Go

1. Pour oil into a deep fryer or skillet and heat to 375°F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, dry mustard, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. In a another bowl, combine the creamed corn and buttermilk.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once, and stir to bring the batter together (don’t worry about lumps). Set aside for 8-9 minutes.
5. Place cornstarch into a dry pie pan and dredge each hot dog in the cornstarch and gently tap to remove any extra.
6. Fill a large, narrow pitcher or glass with batter, allowing room for displacement when dogs are dunked.
7. Skewer each hot dog on bamboo or toothpicks, and dip in batter. Carefully and quickly place each hot dog into the oil, and cook until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.
8. With tongs, remove to plate with paper towels, and allow to drain for 5 minutes.

What you should know

Variations: *You can use Tofu pops also for a vegetarian twist.

For “Pups”: cut each hot dog into bite-size pieces and use toothpicks. Serve with your favorite mustard or salsa.

For “Collars”: using same batter, dip onion rings and fry.

You can replace creamed corn with ½ cup fresh, but increase buttermilk by another ½ cup.

For extra kick: add cayenne pepper, chopped jalepenos, or curry powder.