The corn dog is the great food on a stick of American fairs and ballparks, and several places claim to have invented it. Oregon's Pronto Pup says 1939, Springfield, Illinois says 1946, and the Fletcher family says their Corny Dogs were first sold at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas in the early 1940s, where they remain a fixture every autumn. Whoever was first, the idea is perfect: a hot dog dipped in cornbread batter and fried, so you get a sausage and its bun in one crisp, golden package.

The race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin falls in the season of Texas fairs, which seems reason enough to put the corn dog on our Texas weekend. A tall glass makes dipping easy, a heavy pot and a thermometer make frying safe, and a squeeze of yellow mustard is the traditional finish, though ketchup has its loyal supporters.

The batter

Ingredients

• 1 cup (140 g) fine or medium yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

The corn dogs

Ingredients

• 8 beef or pork hot dogs
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) vegetable or canola oil
• yellow mustard and ketchup

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