Chloe Likes To Eat: Americana

I follow quite a few US food/lifestyle blogs and sometimes I see things, and I just know. I know I have to try them, and this was one of those. Pretzel wrapped hotdogs. Yes. Really. A hotdog, wrapped and baked in it's own chewy, bready pretzel dough casing.

looking back on this picture, I can SMELL all the bread gooness right there

I saw this amazing feat of baking inspiration on How Sweet It Is, and her full recipe for a jalapeno version is right HERE. The best thing- it's actually a very easy recipe, it uses some pretty standard store cupboard ingredients and the result is just, good. All round, super yummy, amazing, foodie goodness.

I love Saturdays

I know the original recipe is linked below, but for speedy reference here's the basic destructions:
Ingredients:
1.5 cups warm water
2.25 tsp of active dry yeast (or 1 7g sachet)
4.5 cups plain flour
4 tbsp butter (melted/softened)
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

0.25 cup baking soda
large pan of gently boiling water
1 egg for eggwash
8-10 hot dogs

Ad flour, yeast & salt to bowl
Combine water, honey, oil & salt in a jug, add to flour and mix
Add butter, knead for approx 5-10 mins until dough is well combines and pulling away from surface
Cover with clingfilm and leave to rise (until doubled in size) for 45mins-1hr
Knock back gently and divide into 8-10 long strips roughly 35-40 cm in length
Wind dough around hotdogs and pinch ends to secure

Boil water and add baking soda
drop dough wrapped dogs into the water fro roughly 45 seconds each (do this 1 or 2 at a time)

Place on baking tray
Place on baking tray, liberally egg wash and if you want to (you should) sprinkle with coarse salt
Bake for 15-20 mins (until dark brown) at 200 degrees

Now. Please.

So as you can see, I couldn't resist the urge to go full scale Americana, hotdogs encased in pretzel just wasn't enough. The potato skins are quite simple cheese, some chopped onion and a spoon of creme fraiche (and this is T's plate, which is why there's a lot on it). But can we take a second to focus on these....

Yes, that is an onion ring. Wrapped in bacon.

I spied these on a Danish blog (and I now can't find the link, shout if it's you please). And whilst I don't speak Danish, I can manage wrapping rings of onion in strips of streaky bacon and grilling on both sides. Show stealer! These were epic. The original recipe I saw also suggested dipping the onion in chili or barbecue sauce before wrapping in bacon. I didn't but I so would.

All this with a healthy side of barbecue sauce and another of American mustard and one happy Saturday was made. I feel like I should also add the disclaimer that I cycled over 100km the following day, so I don't feel too badly for eating all the carbs and for the joy of fresh food, lunch was one of my super speedy spinach, sugar snap pea & mushroom soups.

You can thank me when you have a food baby.