Maybe the secret of life is learning to find home everywhere. We visited one such home, Rochester, MN, this weekend and I was in tears to find that hot dish is still one of my primary love languages. So wonderful to reunite with members of our ever-extending family. And we stayed a night on a tug boat bed and breakfast in Saint Paul!
It was festival season in MN, where they famously serve almost everything fried and on a stick. Here is my vegetarian homage to memories from Midwest county fair season. This is a take on a Coney Island famous hot dog—a famously fatty, uber unhealthy dog, deep-fried and wrapped in bacon—now gone vegetarian. And still super delicious. Even Izzy can’t tell they are made of vegetables, not meat!
Vegetarian Humm Dogs
Adapted from Food and Wine
RELISH
1 cup onion, chopped
2 TB olive oil
½ tsp salt
1 jalapeno, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Sprinkle of fresh dill
TRUFFLE MAYONNAISE
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup avocado oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh black truffle or 1 1/2 teaspoons white truffle oil
HOT DOGS
8 split-top hot dog buns
8 slices of Gruyère, halved
Inner celery leaves, for garnish
Make the relish in a small saucepan, saute onion in olive oil for 8 minutes, until caramelizing. Then add salt, jalapeno and garlic and blend flavors for 1-2 more minutes.
Simultaneously sear the hot dogs, also in the skillet, until browned on a couple sides. Seriously. I LOVE THESE.
Make the mayonnaise: in a mini food processor, puree the egg yolk with the lemon juice, mustard and salt until smooth. With the machine on, very gradually add the oil until emulsified and the mayonnaise is thick. Scrape into a small bowl and stir in the truffle.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Arrange the buns cut side up on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread the inside of each bun with some of the truffle mayonnaise and fill with a hot dog and a slice of Gruyère.
Bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Top with some of the relish and garnish with celery leaves. Serve right away.
These go well with a side of Proper Crisps, all the way from New Zealand!
So much gratitude for the potlucks and meals together from last weekend in Rochester. We will be back!
It was such a joy to have you and KP here in Minnesota last month, dearest Rachel! I agree, home is where you make it. I love seeing these photos of you two with some other Minnesotans, and outside your river lodging. LOL at hotdishes being one of your love languages 🙂 Love you!