Prepare your sausages and skewers: Pat the sausages dry with kitchen paper — this helps the batter stick. Insert a wooden skewer into each sausage, pushing it about two-thirds of the way through so it feels secure. Set them aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

Heat the oil: Pour about 1 litre of sunflower or vegetable oil into a deep, heavy saucepan or a deep skillet. You want about 7–8cm of oil. Heat it over a medium-high flame until it reaches 175°C. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a small cube of bread into the oil — it should sizzle and turn golden brown in about 30 seconds. The oil should shimmer but not smoke.

Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, cornmeal, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and smoked paprika if using. The mixture will look pale yellow and smell slightly sweet and earthy. Make a well in the centre.

Make the batter: In a separate small bowl or jug, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons of oil until smooth and pale. Pour this into the well of dry ingredients. Stir gently with a fork until just combined — a few small lumps are absolutely fine. Over-mixing will make the corn dogs tough. The batter should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still drop off in a slow, steady ribbon.

Coat the sausages: Pour the batter into a tall, narrow glass or a deep measuring jug — this makes dipping much easier. Take a skewered sausage and dip it into the batter, tilting the glass slightly to fully coat the sausage. Let any excess batter drip off for a second or two. The coating should be even, about 3–4mm thick, with no gaps showing the sausage.

Fry the corn dogs: Carefully lower the battered sausage into the hot oil, holding the skewer and letting it go gently so you don't splash. Fry for 2–3 minutes, turning once with tongs, until the crust is deep golden brown and sounds crisp when you tap it with the tongs. The batter will puff slightly and develop a crackled, crunchy surface. Work in batches of 2–3 to avoid overcrowding the pan — the oil temperature will drop too much otherwise.

Drain and rest: Use tongs to lift the corn dogs out, letting the excess oil drip back into the pan. Place them on a wire rack set over a baking tray — this keeps the underside crisp rather than soggy. Let them rest for 2 minutes before serving. The crust will be hot and shatteringly crisp, and the sausage inside will be juicy and steaming.