This is part three of Chrissy Wilmes' Chef's Choice profile of Mike Ryan of Lola. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Ryan, is published here.
When does a deep fried carnival staple evolve into an entree? When Mike Ryan gets hold of it and gives it a creole twist. Gut Check was a little leery at first, but from the moment we crunched through that flaky, savory fried breading and sunk our teeth into the complexly seasoned andouille sausage, we were believers. The icing on the corn dog? Ryan's housemade spicy mustard. All of this atop a bed of the most authentic red beans and rice you're likely to find this far up the Mississippi.
Corn Dog Batter
4-6 cups cornmeal 2 tablespoons baking powder 1/2 cup flour cajun seasoning to taste salt and pepper granulated garlic cold tap water
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly until you have a smooth, thick, paste-like consistency
Sausage
Pre-grill and let cool
Rice
Long grain white rice boiled to your liking
Red Beans
Diced peppers Diced onion Diced celery 4 cans red kidney beans Cajun seasoning Crushed red pepper Onion powder Granulated garlic Salt and pepper
Drain all four cans of beans Mash 2 cans into a paste Keep 2 cans whole In a skillet, saute peppers, onions, and celery Add your spices to the saute Mix the 2 cans of whole beans with the bean paste Add your saute items and mix with a spoon
Take cooled andouille sausage and cut longways with a bamboo wooden skewer Dust it in flour Submerge the dog in the cornmeal mixture Fry it submersed in 350 degree Fahrenheit cooking oil for about 5-7 minutes or until batter is golden brown and shell-like
Serve hot on top of red beans and rice. As an added touch, use you favorite mustard for the corn dog. Bon appetit!
