Having trained under molecular gastronomy legends Grant Achatz and Wylie Dufresne, Alex Stupak was a young

pastry prodigy before applying his talents to masa at Empellón in New York City. Alex has a deep devotion to
Mexican cuisine, but he’s not afraid to mash up traditional techniques with modern flavors, as in these Masa Corn
Dogs.

Huitlacoche, also known as cuitlacoche, corn truffle, or corn smut, is best when fresh. Because fresh huitlacoche
only lasts about 7 to 10 days refrigerated, it can be difficult to find. It will usually be located in the refrigerated area
of the produce section of your local Latin grocer.

If you are unable to find fresh huitlacoche, canned huitlacoche may be substituted here. Just make sure to strain
out all of the canning liquid before use. Canned huitlacoche is available online and at most Latin grocers.

Masa Corn Dog (with Huitlacoche “Mustard”)

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

HUITLACOCHE MUSTARD
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small serrano chile, seeded, deveined, and finely chopped
1 medium tomato, roughly chopped
7 oz [200 g] fresh huitlacoche or one 7 oz [198 g] can huitlacoche (corn smut), rinsed and drained
⅓ cup plus 1 Tbsp [100 g] Dijon mustard
2 tsp mezcal
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp MSG
¼ tsp fish sauce

CORN DOGS
1 lb [455 g] Table Tortilla Masa
About 1 cup [240 ml] milk
1 large egg
1 tsp fine salt
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp calcium hydroxide (lime)
2 qt [1.9 L] vegetable oil, for frying
8 hot dogs
Chili salt
Lime wedges, for serving

To make the huitlacoche mustard: Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion,
garlic, and chile and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato and cook, stirring and raising the heat to
medium as needed, to release and then evaporate the juices, about 5 minutes. Add the huitlacoche and cook until
its juices have released and evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a blender. Add the Dijon mustard,
mezcal, sugar, MSG, and fish sauce, and purée on high speed until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

To make the corn dogs: Crumble the masa into a blender. Add the milk, egg, and salt, and purée on high speed
until combined. Transfer to a large bowl. Fold in the flour, baking powder, and calcium hydroxide until just
combined. (The mixture will thicken a bit as it sits.) Let rest for 5 minutes and use immediately thereafter.
In a pot that’s 2 in [5 cm] wider than the skewers, heat 3 in [7.5 cm] of oil to 350°F [180°C]. Insert a skewer
lengthwise through the center of each hot dog, leaving 1 in [2.5 cm] or so of skewer exposed at the end.

Fill a 1 pt [480 ml] glass with the batter. Submerge a hot dog into the batter, coating it all over. Fry one or two hot
dogs at a time, depending on the size of your pot, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Let drain on a wire rack or
paper towel–lined plate. Season with chili salt. Repeat until all the hot dogs are fried. Serve the corn dogs with lime
wedges and the huitlacoche mustard on the side.

Reprinted from Masa by Jorge Gaviria with permission from Chronicle Books, 2022. Photographs © Graydon
Herriott.