At ChurchKey, the beer-centric bar in DC’s Logan Circle, chef Kyle Bailey prepares an upscale version of corn dogs, filled not with hot dogs but with shrimp. The bite-size poppers are crisp, light, and brightened with lemon zest and parsley, and they’ve quickly become a standout menu item—the kitchen churns out more than 500 orders a month. Once cooked, Bailey says, the shrimp dogs will last three days in the refrigerator. The batter will hold two days. “If the batter loses its bubbles—that thing that makes the batter fluffy—add a small amount of baking powder. Feel free to mix in your own special blend of seasonings.”
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Shrimp Corn Dogs
Makes 10 servings.
For the filling:
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
¼ cup chopped parsley
Zest of 3 lemons
¼ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Salt and white pepper to taste
Oil for sautéing
Lollipop sticks for serving
Sweat the shallot and garlic in oil over low heat until translucent. In a food processor, blend the shrimp, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until the mixture has emulsified (it should have small chunks and be sticky). In a large bowl, thoroughly mix in the panko. Form the mixture into cylinders about the size of half a hot dog. Push a lollipop stick into each cylinder. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes. The mixture should adhere to the lollipop stick.
For the batter:
1 egg
1 pint buttermilk
1 cup flour
1 cup medium-grind cornmeal (preferably Quaker)
2¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
Canola oil for frying
Salt to taste
Heat the frying oil to 350 to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix the egg and buttermilk together with a whisk. Whisk in the dry ingredients. Dip the shrimp cylinders (on their sticks) into the batter. Fry until golden brown. Remove the shrimp dogs from the oil and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and serve.
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