Texas State Fair 2016

Let’s start our coverage of the Texas State Fair in 2016 with its award-winners!

Not quite sure where the “Korn” in this dish comes in… If it comes with a side of Jonathan Davis, I’ll take 200 and sell my soul for a time machine to stake my claim. Ahem. As-is, though, the dish serves marinated chicken and shrimp over yellow Caribbean-style fried rice and piles on tropical salsa and a pineapple rum glaze.

Meanwhile, this pocket of poultry has a savory cream sauce base with shredded roasted chicken breast, tender diced white potatoes, sweet carrots, peas, and corn. The pocket’s then deep fried and served with a ramekin of mac ‘n’ cheese as a dip. ‘Murica!

Not quite the Funyun you might be expecting, these snacks are stuffed with pulled pork, pineapple slices, pepper jack cheese, and bacon, then battered, deep fried, and brought forth with sweet BBQ sauce. Few fairgoers tried this; perhaps they were enticed by the stand’s other offering:  milkshakes blended with an entire slice of pie.

I love the little miniature pipette on top as garnish! It’s used to inject bock BBQ sauce into the brisket balls. The aforementioned balls are smoke-crusted BBQ beef brisket marinated with bock BBQ sauce, rolled up into little BBQ brisket balls, breaded, and deep fried, served atop coleslaw. Apparently these were so popular, they sold 8,000 orders in the first two weeks.

Cherry-flavored Jell-O coated in panko breadcrumbs, then flash-fried, these gelatin bites are topped with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. These won the award for “best tasting.” Crunch crunch, jiggle jiggle anyone?

Also in the “ball” park, this dish is a mix of shredded chicken and gravy, balled up in a dough crust, then coated in bread crumbs and deep fried. It’s served with biscuit bites–also balled and deep-fried–and a side of gravy.

Hitting up the two quintessential state fair categories, the Deep-Fried Bacon Burger Dog Slider on-a-Stick is a miniature, handmade beef patty stuffed with cheddar cheese, bacon, and a hot dog, served on a Hawaiian roll, skewered alongside a pickle, dipped in tempura batter, and deep fried. It’s offered up on a bed of shoestring potatoes–also deep-fried, natch–alongside ranch dressing for dippin’.

Last but not least, these crinkle-cut Cookie Fries come in either chocolate chip or sprinkles and served with either strawberry or milk chocolate sauce. Love the idea, not sure about cookies that are deep fried rather than baked.