Tater tots redux - from scratch

Before

After

Can’t anybody just follow a recipe and not tinker with it? Ah, but it’s the tinkering that’s the fun part.

I was inspired by Jenn’s posting the other day of her version (http://jennsfoodjourney.blogspot.com/) of my Simply Potatoes tots to try a from-scratch version. The Simply Potato company told me via email that their products are basically 70 % pre-cooked. Ergo the necessity to figure out just how long to boil my potatoes before shredding. Here goes:

A large russet potato yielded just about 3 cups of shredded potato. To make this recipe make sense, I’ve written it as if there is 1 cup of potato. Therefore a person should multiply as necessary depending on how much potato you actually have.

I wanted to form my tots right on the baking sheet and so dispensed with Jenn’s method of heating the sheet while the oven heats. To compensate I increased her oven temp to 450 degrees and stayed with her 5 minutes per side.

I hope I haven’t made this more difficult by writing up the plan as if there is 1 cup of potato, but no 2 taters are going to be the same size.

Tater tots redux – from scratch (each cup of potato will make about 5 tots)
russet potato, par-boiled and shredded
The following measurements are for 1 cup of shredded potato:
1 tbsp lightly beaten egg white (or egg whites in a box from the store, which is my preference)

2 tsp corn starch
2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Peel the potato and cut it into quarters lengthwise. Put into a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. When it boils add some salt to the water. Boil 5 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold water. Dry with paper towels.

Using the grater blade in the food processor grate them. Measure the amount of potato and multiply the other ingredients accordingly. Put them into a large bowl and toss with all remaining ingredients. I prefer to toss the dry stuff, then add the wet stuff. Form the tots using whatever mold you can come up with. Jenn used a small ice cream scoop. I use a napkin ring and press them with the top end of a caper jar (it fits perfectly into the ring). Refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes so that they firm up.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put the tots on the sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Turn them over and bake 5 more minutes. Switch the oven to broil and move a rack to the top position. Broil the tots 2 minutes per side until well-browned. Be sure to leave the oven door ajar so that the heating element doesn’t cycle off and on.

Franks and onions with homemade tater tots

When I was growing up (in a family of seven with not much money) we were served very cost-conscious meals. One favorite of all of us was fried baloney and onions on mashed potatoes. So I’ve deconstructed it for today’s post.

Why would a person want to make homemade tater tots? Just to prove it could be done. I noted a while back that Jenn (http://jennsfoodjourney.blogspot.com/) often made tater tots and I started thinking about them. My first attempt was a total disaster. But Thomas Edison didn’t give up after his first light bulb. (Incidentally, I went to Thomas Alva Edison Jr. / Sr. High School back before many of you were born.)

This was a real EUREKA! moment, especially when Peter came home just after I pulled them out of the oven and tasted one. He doesn’t mince words and said he’d be glad to have them as a side dish any time. Even serve them to guests.

A word about your broiler. Most will cycle on and off if the door is closed. I recommend pre-heating for 5 minutes with the door closed but that the cooking time be done with the door ajar (I guess most ovens have a spot where the door stays open 4 or 5 inches). This does allow heat to escape into your kitchen, but it’s crucial to the success of these little miracles.

As for the franks and onions part, just caramelize the onions over medium-high heat (6 on my electric ranges 1-10 dial), about 20 minutes. Toss in the dogs when you put the flipped over tots in for their last 5 minutes. I turned off the burner and let the dogs warm up with the residual heat.

Tater Tots in a Trice (makes about 25)
1 package Simply Potatoes hash browns
¼ cup lightly beaten egg white (or egg whites in a box from the store)
2 heaping tbsp corn starch
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat broiler and place a rack in the second slot from the top.

Toss all the dry ingredients with the potatoes in a bowl until well-incorporated. Then add egg and oil and toss to incorporate. I used a napkin ring to mold the tots, and an upside down caper jar to press them into shape. The lid of the jar was the perfect size for the napkin ring.

Lubricate a baking sheet very thoroughly (with sides or else the tots will slide off after flipping) with cooking spray. Place the tots on it and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then broil 10 minutes, rotating the pan after 5. Turn them over and broil another 5 minutes until nicely browned. Eat.