French Hot Dogs

 

It was one of my sons birthday yesterday. I... I mean We, decided to go with a sort of French vibe. I didn't think sitting the kids down to a meal of cassoulet was going to have them raving about how cool his mother he is, so I opted for French hot dogs. I don't know if there is such a thing as a French hot dog, but I figured if I used Toulouse sausages, creme fraiche, Dijon mustard and *baguettes, I just might get away with it. Hot dogs are always. always, a hit around here and throw in couple of dozen bags of "French Fries" and you've won the hearts and minds of all 14 year olds.


*NOTE: I used some soft hot dog rolls as well as baguettes. Chewy, crunchy baguettes are really the ONLY type of bread to use for anything that has the cheek to call itself a French Hot Dog, but anyone who knows teenagers will know that 9 out of 10 of them wear braces, and braces and chewy, crunchy baguettes don't mix.



French Hot Dogs
Makes 12

For the Caramelised Onions:
6 large brown onions, peeled and thinly sliced
40g unsalted butter
Pinch of salt

For the Mustard Sauce:

1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Squeeze of lemon juice

For the Hot Dogs:
1 tablespoons olive oil
12 Toulouse sausages
Baguettes or hot dog rolls (*See note)
6 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
2 cups grated Gruyère
Jar of cornichons
12 packets of "French Fries"

Make the Caramelised Onions:
Put the butter into a large frying pan and melt it on a low-medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions will start to go a little golden in parts and you will start to see some brown bits stick to the pan. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and give it a stir. Scrape the brown bits off the pan and continue to cook the onions for a few more minutes. The water will evaporate and you will start to see some more brown bits stick to the pan. Once again, add a couple of tablespoons of water and scrape the brown bits up. Continue to do this a few more times until the onions are a deep bronze colour. Season with salt, remove from the heat and spoon into a bowl. Set aside to cool until needed.

Make the Mustard Sauce:
Mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Make the Hot Dogs:
Put the oil in a large pan and cook the sausages low and slow until cooked and golden-brown. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Heat the grill (broiler) to medium high. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Set aside.

Split the baguettes/hot dos rolls, slather with some caramelised onions, fill with cooked sausages and top with a generous amount of cheese. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and grill (broil) until the cheese is melted, bubbling and staring to go golden.

Drizzle with mustard sauce and top with "French Fries"/cornichons.