Fried Chicken Corn Dogs

Special equipment: Eight 8-inch wooden skewers; deep-fry thermometer

Whisk together 1/2 cup of the buttermilk, the hot sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add the chicken tenders and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

For the corn dog batter, cut the corn away from the cob and transfer to a blender. Use the back of a knife to scrape the milk off the cob and add to the blender.

Add the remaining buttermilk, the honey and 1 teaspoon salt and blend until completely smooth. With the blender off, add 1 1/4 cups of the flour, the cornmeal and baking powder. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to lightly stir the dry ingredients into the corn mixture until just combined. Blend until the mixture is mostly smooth (a few lumps is fine).

Fill a large Dutch oven or pot halfway with oil and heat to 350 degrees F over medium heat.

While the oil heats up, remove the chicken tenders from the buttermilk mixture onto a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels. Pat the chicken dry with additional paper towels. Use a pair of kitchen shears to cut off the pointed end of each skewer. Carefully insert 1 skewer about three-quarters of the way through each chicken tender. Set aside.

Pour the remaining 1/2 cup flour onto a plate. Lightly season with salt. Working with one chicken tender at a time, dredge in the seasoned flour and then carefully dip into the batter (which is still in the blender), submerging completely. Tip the blender as needed to make it easier to cover the chicken with batter. Carefully place the battered chicken in the oil and fry until the chicken is cooked through and the outside is golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Do not fry more than 3 chicken tenders at a time or they will to stick to each other.

Transfer the fried "corn dogs" to a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Season liberally with salt. Dredge, batter and fry the remaining chicken. Allow the corn dogs to sit for at least 5 minutes before eating.

Serve with hot sauce, ketchup, honey mustard or yellow mustard.