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I woke up early at 4 am one morning last week. I couldn’t sleep. So rather than pretending that I wasn’t awake, I got up to see if I could make progress on the 3 blogs of writers block I had sitting in drafts. As I sipped coffee and enjoyed the quiet house, the words continued to escape me. Instead a lightbulb of an idea pulled me away from my screen and into the kitchen. Inspired by the Potato Smiles my kids used to eat when they were little, I decided to make some shaped tater tots like these Ghostface masks I made using my Horror Movie Character Molds from Shaped Ice molds. I spent the next three days fiddling around until I got the right recipe to make these deliciously fun Screaming Tots! Enjoy!
Screaming Tots
Equipment
- potato ricer
- Candy Thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 large potatoes, Russet peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup corn starch
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 4½ cups vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pot filled with water and boil for approximately 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain potatoes. Mash potatoes well by running them through a ricer or a fine mesh sieve so that they are finely mashed with no lumps.
- Add corn starch, salt and garlic powder and mix until combined and the dough holds together well. Use a teaspoon to portion out small amounts of potato into each cavity of the mold. Use the back of the spoon to press the potato into the mold.
- Add about an additional 1 tsp of potato dough to each of the mold cavities to round out each tater tot and shape with your fingers. Don't worry too much if the potato over fills the mold, you will be able to trim away excess potato once it is frozen and removed from the mold.
- Place molds in the freezer for 30 minutes and remove the killer tots from the molds. Use a small knife to trim off any excess potato and place the molded tots into a freezer safe container and freeze completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Keep the tots frozen until ready to serve.
- Par-bake Tots before Frying: Due to the amount of moisture in potatoes, it is important to par-bake the tots prior to frying to help dry them out. This step insures that the tots retain all the detail of the molded tots during frying. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange frozen tots on baking sheet face up and in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
- Deep Fry Instructions: Add oil to a medium pot and heat oil until your candy thermometer reaches 365-370℉. Fry screaming tots in batches until they are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel, sprinkle with salt and serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.
