Gamja Hot Dog
A Korean street food skewer: sausage battered and rolled in diced potato, deep fried until crisp, dusted with sugar.
- prep
- 25 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total
- 40 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Gamja means potato in Korean, and this is the hot dog that earns the name: a sausage on a stick coated in a thick batter, then rolled in diced raw potato before it hits the fryer. Street markets across South Korea sell dozens of versions of this corn-dog-style snack.
The potato has to be cut small and even so it fries through at the same rate as the batter around it, and a dusting of sugar straight out of the oil, alongside the usual ketchup and mustard, is part of the tradition rather than an optional extra.
Gamja Hot Dog is one of the best hot dogs from around the world.
method
Skewer each sausage half on a wooden stick and pat dry with paper towels.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together, then whisk in the egg and milk to make a thick, pancake-like batter.
Heat the oil to 170 to 180°C, or 340 to 355°F, in a deep, heavy pot.
Dip each skewered sausage in the batter to coat evenly, then roll it in the diced potato, pressing gently so the pieces stick.
Lower each one carefully into the hot oil and fry, turning, for 4 to 5 minutes until deep golden and the potato is crisp.
Drain on a rack, dust with sugar while still hot, and serve with ketchup and mustard for dipping.
chef's tips
- Pat the sausage dry before battering, or the coating will not stick properly.
- Keep the diced potato small and uniform so every piece fries through at the same rate.
- A sugar dusting straight out of the fryer is traditional; it sounds odd next to ketchup, but it works.