Brisket Tots
2½ pounds baking potatoes (3 to 4 potatoes) scrubbed and unpeeled
Sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper, plus extra as needed 2 tablespoons potato starch, plus extra for dusting your work surface
1 large egg, beaten with a fork
2 cups finely diced or chopped barbecue brisket (about ½ pound)
2 cups coarsely grated cheddar
cheese
2 scallions, trimmed, white part minced, green part thinly sliced on a sharp diagonal and set aside for garnish
About 2 cups vegetable oil for frying 1 cup chipotle mayonnaise Instructions: Place the potatoes in a large pot with 1 teaspoon salt and water to cover by a depth of 3 inches. Briskly simmer the potatoes over medium-high heat until just tender when pierced with a bamboo skewer, 12 to 18 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander. When cool enough to handle, slip off and discard the skins. Grate the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl. (Alternatively, use a food processor fitted with a grating disk. Do not use a chopping blade.) Sprinkle the potatoes with 1½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 2 tablespoons potato starch. Gently fold to mix. Fold in the beaten egg, brisket, cheese and scallion whites (be careful not to over-fold or the the seasoning, tots will be adding gummy). salt and/or Correct pepper to taste. Form the tots as you would gnocchi. That is, lightly dust your work surface with potato starch. Take a 4-ounce piece of the potato mixture (about the size of a lemon) and roll it into a rope about 12 inches long and ½-inch thick. Cut it crosswise into 1½-inch pieces. Continue rolling and cutting the potato mixture until all is used up. The tots can be formed several hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator on a sheet pan lined and covered with plastic wrap. Just before serving, pour oil into a deep frying pan or heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high heat. Fry the tots in batches (don’t crowd the pan) until golden brown on all sides, turning with a skimmer or slotted spoon, 4 to 6 minutes in all. Transfer the tots to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Continue frying until all the potato mixture is used up. Sprinkle the tots with the scallion greens and serve immediately with a bowl of chipotle mayonnaise on the side for dipping. Makes about 100 tots, or 8 to 12 servings