Evening Edge
What’s For Dinner?
DEL.ICIO.USThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/17/08
I know what you're thinking: "Why would any right-minded person make Tater Tots?"
Soundness of mind has little to do with this particular recipe quest. For many it starts as more of a craft project along the lines of building a gingerbread house or tiling a shower stall.
 Brant Sanderlin/Staff | |||
| Tater Tots, an adored side dish and cassrole staple for more than 50 years, has taken a decidedly upscale turn, especially when made by hand and stuffed by chefs. (Styling by John Kessler.)
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But you know what? Those homemade tots are not only hilarious but also compulsively delicious, particularly once you get the bright idea to bury a bit of cheese in the center.
So how does one make the transition from tater to tot? It can be a little tricky because cut potatoes weep liquid and starch, particularly once salt enters the equation.
Chef Michel Richard of Citronelle in Washington tried out a number of novel techniques before he hit paydirt. He starts by cutting potatoes into fine dice on a mandoline. He quickly steams these potato pieces until they express their starch and packs them into a mold to chill. He can then portion his tots and double fry them until they're crisp on the outside and creamy within.
I've developed a thoroughly different technique, detailed in the recipe below, that rids the potato pieces of all their expressed starch and moisture, rendering them easier to hand form into those familiar spool shapes. I may not go tot for tot against Richard, but my method is fairly easy to accomplish in a home kitchen.
Editor's Note: References to Tater Tots and tots are used with permission from the H.J. Heinz Co.
Sweet Potato Cakes
8 servings
Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 1 1/2 hours
When I was chef at a small restaurant in Colorado, we used to serve these easy, unique cakes as a side dish to pork and duck. Regular customers often asked for extras.
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
4 green onions, chopped
1 egg
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Shred the sweet potatoes with your food processor into a large mixing bowl. Add the green onions, egg, flour, salt and pepper and mix well. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Form 16 cakes on the wax paper. Place in freezer for at least 2 hours, until frozen solid.
Heat a half-inch of oil to 375 degrees in a high-sided skillet. Submerge the frozen cakes in hot oil until they are well-browned and lightly crisped, turning once. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
Per serving: 205 calories (percent of calories from fat, 63), 3 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates,2 grams fiber, 14 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 27 milligrams cholesterol, 281 milligrams sodium.
Bacon-wrapped Tater Tots
20 servings (2 tots apiece)
Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 35 minutes
Funny, tasty, disarming for food snobs. Think of the canapés served at Elly Mae Clampett's wedding. Center-cut Oscar Mayer bacon is just the right size.
40 Tater Tots
20 slices bacon (not too long), cut in half
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Allow tots to thaw on counter for 15 to 20 minutes, or defrost in microwave for 1 minute, until spearable with a toothpick.
Wrap each tot tautly with a half-slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Place the tots standing upright on a baking sheet (make sure the sheet has sides to hold the rendered bacon fat). Cook for 10 minutes. Remove and place the tots on their bacon-wrapped sides. Cook for 5 minutes and turn over to cook on the other side for 5 minutes, until crisp. Blot on paper towels and serve.
Per serving: 135 calories (percent of calories from fat, 54), 3 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 8 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 11 milligrams cholesterol, 116 milligrams sodium.
Tater Tot Hot Dish
6 to 7 servings
Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 1 1/2 hours
This is the basic casserole recipe that Ore-Ida suggests and millions of Midwesterners know by heart.
1 pound ground hamburger meat
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (32-ounce) bag Tater Tots (frozen)
2 cups shredded cheese (your choice)
Brown hamburger meat; drain fat. Add cream of mushroom soup and stir together continuously. Let simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Place mixture in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay Tater Tots neatly on top of mixture. Place in preheated oven at 350 degrees and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; melt it in the oven.
Per serving (based on 6): 554 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 27 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 34 grams fat (16 grams saturated), 97 milligrams cholesterol, 855 milligrams sodium.
TTC 15 servings
Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 50 minutes
Sheila Devaney so loves this Tater Tot casserole, she calls it TTC and eats leftovers for breakfast.
2 cups shredded cheese (your choice), divided
8 ounces sour cream
1 (14-ounce) can cream of potato soup
1 (32-ounce) package Tater Tots (frozen)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend 1 cup cheese with the sour cream and soup in a large mixing bowl. Toss in the tots. Spread in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Per serving: 241 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 7 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 16 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 32 milligrams cholesterol, 333 milligrams sodium.
Basic Potato Bites
8 servings (6 tots apiece)
Hands on: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hour
If you want to freeze these tots, fry them first until they have taken on some color and plumped. Then you can fry them a second time, frozen, until they fully brown and crisp. If you want a little onion flavor, use dehydrated granules rather than fresh onion.
3 to 4 large baking potatoes, peeled
1 heaping teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated onion (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Vegetable oil, for frying
Shred the potatoes into a large mixing bowl using the shredder attachment on your food processor. You should end up with 4 to 5 cups of potato shreds. Fill the bowl with water and rinse, changing the water 3 or 4 times until it runs clear. Drain the shreds. Fit your food processor with a blade and pulse the shreds, in small batches, to chop them. Place the chopped bits on a sheet pan in a pile and add the salt and optional onion, and work this seasoning in with your fingers. Spread the bits out on the sheet pan and let rest for 5 minutes. Tip out any juices that have collected in the pan. Squeeze the bits, in handfuls, over the sink to rid them of additional moisture. Spread the cornstarch over the potatoes and work it in with your fingers. A handful of the mixture should hold its shape when squeezed in your hand.
Line a sheet pan with wax paper. Form the tots with gentle pressure in your hands (you'll get the hang of it quickly). Line them on the sheet pan. When finished, place the pan in the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes, just until the surface has hardened.
Fry the tots submerged in oil heated to 375 degrees. If they stick to the bottom at first, let them brown before gently scraping them free with a steel spatula. Remove when golden brown — about 4 minutes.
Variation: Goat tots. These fantastic bites ooze soft, tangy goat cheese. Prepare the cheese by rolling 1/2 teaspoon portions of it into balls between your palms. Form the tots around these balls and proceed as directed above. One 4-ounce log will suffice.
Per serving: 142 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 1 gram protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 271 milligrams sodium.