I’m a huge fan of all things Cajun, and with Mardi Gras right around the corner … I started searching for a Cajun twist.
At first, I was thinking of making a classic — jambalaya; however, while at a local pub, I found the perfect dish. Main Hub in Racine is known for their variety of corn dogs, and they have a special — Andouille corn dogs with Cajun seasoned fries.
It’s truly a perfect combination of spice, crunch, and sweet corn bread batter. Paired up with some Mardi Gras mustard and you get a perfect dish.
For the corn dogs:
- 12 fully-cooked andouille sausages
- 12 sticks
- Peanut, canola, or vegetable oil for frying
Batter ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups fine yellow corn meal
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
Mardi Gras mustard ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard such as Maille’s Old Style
- 1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard such as French’s
- 2 tsp prepared extra hot horseradish
- 1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning such as Slap Ya Mama
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/16 tsp cayenne
- 2 tsp packed dark brown sugar (or to taste)
Instructions for corn dogs:
- Pour 2-3” of oil in a large pot or dutch oven and heat to 350 degrees over medium heat.
- Pat dry with paper towels. Insert sticks into hot dogs.
- Whisk together dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt). Whisk together wet ingredients (buttermilk, egg, 1 Tbsp oil and honey). Combine wet and dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
- Pour batter into a drinking glass almost to the top and dip hot dogs. Put corn dog straight down into batter and give it a little twirl to fully coat the hot dogs then swirl as you lift up. Let excess drip off.
- Hold corn dog at an angle in the hot oil for 5-7 seconds to let it seal then drop into oil (this keeps them from sticking to the bottom of the pot).
- Fry 3 minutes or until golden brown. Fry up to 2-3 at a time (so you don’t drop the temperature), turning them as needed to brown evenly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Instructions for Mardi Gras mustard:
- Add all ingredients into a small bowl and stir to blend well.
- Pop into fridge and let sit a half an hour or longer to let the flavors blend and the sugar crystals fully dissolve.
- Stir before serving.
