homemade tots

tots are a bit of a guilty pleasure for us. we eat them for a snack, as a side or sometimes thrown into a hash as part of an entree. we tell ourselves it's really ok because we buy the fancy, organic tots. but we know the truth. a few evenings ago we were talking to a friend and the conversation turned to tots and how one might go about making fresh ones. a little internet investigation and it was decided...we must try this and soon!

i based the recipe and method on a couple of internet recipes and comments. i think they turned out really well! the taste was perfect and the inside texture was good too. they reminded us of latke bites. i think next time i will make a bigger batch and freeze them after frying then bake them (like normal frozen tots) and i think they will be even more like the frozen goodness we are used to...a bit crisper on the outside. that being said these were still delicious and if you are too impatient to freeze them it really doesn't matter.

tots
ingredients:
1 gigantic baking potato (or about 2 normal sized ones), peeled and cut in half
1tablespoon flour
salt
pepper
granulated onion
2 tablespoons white vinegar
canola oil for frying

fill a large pot with water and add the vinegar. bring to a boil, add the potato pieces and cook until just tender (about 15 minutes for me). remove potatoes from the water and let cool a few minutes.
when cool enough to handle, grate the potatoes (i used the large sized holes on a box grater) into a bowl. add flour, a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, and about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of onion granules. mix well, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
use your hands to shape potato mixture into tot form. they should stick together easily and not fall apart.
heat about 1/4 inch of canola oil in a large, heavy skillet. once hot, add tots a few at a time and cook several minutes, turning as needed, until golden on all sides.
set on a plate covered with several layers of paper towels to cool and drain.
freeze 'em or eat 'em fresh, plain or dipped in your favorite tot dipping sauce!
(i got about 20 tots out of this recipe)
-d