Introducing FRY-day, where every Fridays, I will feature recipes that is fried, deep fried or pan fried. I’m hoping to include fun snacks because hey, it’s Friday and it’s the start of the weekend! Let’s have some fun.
Korean Hot Dogs / Gamja Hot Dog / Cheese dogs, is a popular Korean street food. Pair with a combo of Mozzarella Cheese and Hot Dog topped with ketchup and mustard, you get yourself a great satisfying fried treat just like the K-drama, Start-Up.
There are several ways to make the batter and the quickest would be to use a pancake mix and use lesser liquid. The idea is so that it is thick enough to coat and hang onto the hotdog and cheese but not creating a slumpy mess when coating with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) prior to frying. There are also recipes citing to use active dry yeast. Using a yeasted dough gives a more chewy texture but it takes a longer time to make.
If you’re going for a quick recipe to make this Korean Cheese Dogs, using a simple batter made from flour, baking powder, eggs, sugar and milk will do it’s magic.
TIPS TO MAKE KOREAN CHEESE DOGS
- Consistency of the batter. The consistency shouldnt be too thin as it would not hold onto the hot dog. So add milk gradually to mix until it’s the right consistency. It is also better if all the ingredients used are cold from fridge. Batter can be kept in the fridge until it’s ready to use. Cold batter is easier to handle.
- To dredge into the batter, make sure to pat dry hot dog or cheese before coating with a paper towel. The water droplets might make it harder for the batter to cling onto it.
- Keep mozzarella cheese cold before dredging into the batter. This will prevent the cheese from oozing out when frying.
- Use a dip and twist technique. Once the hot dog is skewered in, dip into the batter and twist it so it gets on all sides. Pull it up and twist it again to remove any excess batter. You don’t want a batter that’s too thick.
- Coat generously with panko. You want to make sure the whole dog is covered with panko. Use your hands to gently pan panko to ensure it’s stuck in.
- Work quickly. Coat with batter, panko and fry immediately. This will prevent the batter from sliding out of shape.
Korean Cheese Dogs
Ingredients
- 6 hot dogs, sausages or mozzarella cheese (for mozzarella sticks, cut to 1 inch wide and 4 inch long)
- 3 pairs disposable chopstick
- 1 cup panko (Japanese Breadcrumbs)
- oil for frying
- ketchup, mustard or any other condiments of your liking.
Batter
- 1 1/4 cup plain flour (150g)
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg (cold)
- 1/2 cup cold milk (125ml)
Instructions
- Break disposable chopstick apart and skewer hot dogs and mozzarella cheese. If the chopstick is too long, cut to desired length so it submerges entirely in the oil when frying. Mix up with a combination of half hot dog and mozzarella. Put in the fridge while your prepare the batter.
- To make the batter, mix all dry ingredients together. Add in 1 egg. Add in milk but leave 1-2 tbsp. Mix the batter. If the consistency is smooth enough there's no need to add extra milk but if the batter is too stiff, it will need more milk. It shouldn't be too runny, but still able to coat the hot dogs.
- Heat a pot of oil. Pour panko into a clean flat plate. Pour batter into a tall glass or a loaf pan.
- Pat hot dogs and mozzarella cheese sticks dry with a paper towel.
- Dip into the batter and twist so it coats all around evenly. Let excess batter fall off, roll into panko and coat all over. Use fingers to pat so it adheres.
- Check that the oil is hot enough. You can drop in a small drop of batter to test. It should be just using medium heat. Gently drop coated hot dogs and cheese into the pan 2-3 at a time.
- Cook a few minutes on each side till golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel.
- Drizzle with mustard, ketchup or other condiments of choice.
Notes
- It’s recommended to coat hot dogs or cheese in the batter, roll in panko and fried immediately.
- Keep batter cold as it will be able to hold it’s shape better.
- Cheese will be stringy and pulley when eaten hot.
Leave a Reply