Dan Whalen - Tots!: 50 Tot-ally Awesome Recipes from Totchos to Sweet Po-tot-o Pie

tots!

TOT-ALLY AWESOME RECIPES from Totchos to Sweet Po-tot-o Pie

DAN WHALEN

Creator of The Food in My Beard

Workman Publishing New York

Contents

Introduction

Welcome to the wonderful world of tots! Tots are something we all grew up with, and they are making a comeback in an awesome way. When I started doing research to write this book, I discovered more and more restaurants cooking with tots, from fine-dining establishments making homemade tots with beef bacon, to hole-in-the-wall joints serving trashy loaded tots. There are a few restaurants near where I live in Boston that even specialize in these little balls of potato magic, devoting a whole section of their menus to varieties of totchos.

After my in-depth tot sleuthing, intense research, and varied samplings, I set out to write recipes that dont simply retread the same old flavors. We all know that tots taste good with cheese, and although this book does include many tasty variations on that theme, I really tried to push myself off the beaten path to develop new and unique ideas for tots. So thats why in addition to the perhaps more familiar . If it tastes good with a tot, youll find it here.

I always consider my recipes to be springboards for inspiration, so dont feel like you need to follow them precisely. If you do, these recipes are all well tested and will come out great, but if you want to swap out flavors and make them your own, more power to you! There are even a few pages dedicated just to inspiration and alternative tot twists.

Before we get into the main recipes though, well dive into some . The world of tots is vast and varied, so read on for some tips, tricks, and foundational recipes to get you started.

Chapter 1

Tots 101

the Basics

Choosing Your Tots

There is an excellent recipe for , and the best way to eat them is fresh from the fryer with a little salt and dipping sauce. But there are also more than fifty tot-centric recipes in these pages, and theres no reason not to use store-bought tots to make them! Commercial tots are easy, affordable, and delicioustheyre pretty much the perfect foodso no need to overcomplicate things. Heres a quick cheat sheet so you know whats what in the world of totsand in the recipes that follow:

Frozen tots: When it comes to commercial tots, there are a lot more brands out there than you might expect. Each one is a little different, and they all have pros and cons. Some fare better in the oven, while others work best in the fryer. Some are dense and others are light. Ore-Ida was the first to make tots (they even coined the name Tater Tots and trademarked it) and theirs are great, but I suggest trying as many brands as you can find before settling on a favorite. Also keep an eye on the ingredients: Some tots have added flavors like garlic, while others do not. Depending on what recipe youre making, these flavors might help or hurt the final dish. (Have you ever had onion and garlic in a dessert? Not good.) Generally speaking, in my recipes I refer to the traditionally sized, standard-issue tots as frozen tots, and unless otherwise noted, they should be used straight from the freezer.

Mini tots: In addition to different brands, there are also different sizes and shapes. One of the hardest to find is mini tots. A few recipes call for them, but it really isnt a big deal if you cant find them (you can use regular tots instead).

Coin-shape tots: I like to use coin-shape tots (called Crispy Crowns! by the main brand that makes themOre-Ida again) in a handful of recipes here (see ). They are great in place of a cracker or slice of breadessentially as a mini plate for foodand are best pan-fried because they only have two main sides. If you cant find them, you can just use regular tots and flatten them a little bit with a spatula halfway through the cooking process.

Sweet potato tots: I also call for these in a couple of recipes, in the dessert section. Again, make sure they arent seasoned with garlic and onion!

Monster tots: These are large breakfast totsaka hash brown pattiesthe kind you see at certain fast food joints. These are usually sold in the frozen breakfast foods section near the sausage and are sometimes labeled as latkes (even though they are nothing like traditional latkes at all). These work as bread for a .

defrosting frozen tots

Most of the recipes in the book call for using frozen tots as is (i.e., straight from the freezer), but there are a handful that require defrosting the tiny taters first. Its simple: If you want the tots intact, place them on a tray and let them sit out at room temperature until theyve thawed, 1 to 2 hours. If the desired result is mashed up tots, place them on a microwave-safe plate and microwave them at 1-minute intervals (working in batches if necessary), stirring between each round, until theyre defrosted (they will be fragile and may fall apart a bit).

Either way, handle the thawed tots with care because theyre fragile and fall apart easily.

Cooking Your Tots

The packaging on your tots may be a little misleading. Some brands only give directions for baking, but the reality is all tots can be baked, fried, or even pan-fried.

Every recipe in this book sticks to one of these three methods based on the best results for that specific recipe, but feel free to switch up the method depending on your taste preferences and skill level! Deep-fried tots will almost always have the best flavor and texture, but not everyone wants to deep-fry at home. I find that pan-frying is a happy middle ground for convenience, taste, and texture, but it can be annoying when you are making more than 30 tots. In that case, the best option is usually baking. In order to master the baking method, make sure that the oven is fully preheated, the tots arent touching one another and are lightly coated in oil, and remember to flip them halfway through cooking. Following are the basic instructions for each method, beginning with my favorite.

To Pan-Fry Tots

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour enough vegetable or peanut oil into the pan to coat the bottom with a thin layer. Line a plate with a paper towel.

Once the oil is hot and is starting to ripple in the pan, add the tots, one by one, making sure theyre not touching. (You dont want to crowd the pan or the tots will be soggy and may fall apartdepending on the size of your pan, you can cook about 30 tots at a time.) Cook until crispy and well browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes.

Gently flip the tots to turn them browned side up. Cook until brown on the other side, about 3 minutes.

Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes more. Transfer them to the prepared plate and season lightly with salt. Let cool about 1 minute before serving or using as directed.

To Deep-Fry Tots

Pour vegetable or peanut oil to a depth of 4 inches into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a deep-fry or candy thermometer inserted into the oil reaches 375F. Set a cooling rack over a layer of paper towels.

Use a slotted metal spoon to gently drop the tots into the oil, making sure not to crowd the pot. Be extra careful if you see any frost or ice crystals on the tots, which will cause the oil to splatter. Fry until golden brown and delicious-looking, about 3 minutes.

Remove the tots from the pot with the slotted spoon. Place them on the cooling rack and season lightly with salt. Let cool about 1 minute before serving or using as directed.

To Bake Tots

Preheat the oven to 450F.