Homemade Fair Favorites!
The Minnesota State Fair starts this week! In honor of this favorite annual “eating fest,” we’re sharing a few fair classics that you can make at home without the lines, the parking, or the crowds.
French Fries
Ingredients:
• Russet potatoes
• Vegetable or canola oil
• Sea salt
There’s not much to this one, but one bite of these crispy little gems will transport you right to the midway. Start with three good-size Russet potatoes. Clean and cut ’em into french-fry-sized strips and dunk them in a large bold of cold water until you’re ready for the fryer. Oh, and leave the skin on, duh!
This is a two-step frying process.
Heat the oil to 275-300 degrees. In small batches, pat dry the cut potatoes. Then blanch in the heated oil for 3-5 minutes until the shine of the potato turns dull. Drain well on paper towels.
Now, up the heat of the oil to 350 degrees. Again in small batches, fry until they’re golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside. Drain on paper towels, toss with sea salt, and start munching with a little malt vinegar and ketchup.
Corn “Billy” Dogs
Ingredients:
• 10 Billy dogs
• Cornbread/muffin mix (8-1/2 ounce box)
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 10 wooden skewers
• Oil for deep-fat frying
Make the batter. Combine and blend the dry ingredients in a large bowl big enough for dog dipping. Whisk the egg and milk together in a separate bowl. Then add the egg/milk mixture to the dry ingredients just until moistened.
Let stand for 15 minutes to thicken it up a bit so that it will cling better While you’re waiting on the batter, insert the skewers into hot dogs.
Go dog dipping – completely immersing the Billy dogs in the batter.
Heat vegetable oil in an electric skillet or fryer to 375 degrees.
Fry the corn dogs, a few at a time for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, turning occasionally. Make sure the oil temp returns to 375 degrees between batches.
Drain on paper towels. Eat ’em with ketchup and mustard.
