Homemade crispy, salty, crunchy taters

The crispy, salty, crunchy exterior of fried potatoes is one of the great pleasures in life. Not exactly waistline-friendly, but as my grandfather always said: "Everything in moderation." If you too are guilty of the occasional hankering for something slightly naughty - go for it...but make it from scratch so you can control every yummy ingredient that goes into it. We recreated the store-bought frozen classic (Tater Tots we're looking at you!) and couldn't believe how easy and yummy they were.

Homemade tasty taters recipe
Makes 25-30 taters

500g russet potatoes 1 tbsp all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp salt 1 egg 1 cup bread crumbs vegetable oil for frying PEEL potatoes and cut into 2 inch chunks. Place in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked through, but not mushy, 20 to 25 min. Drain.

RETURN potatoes to pot over low heat. Shake the potatoes in the pot until all the water has evaporated and the potatoes appear fuzzy on the outside - this is to get the potatoes very dry. Remove from heat. Mash potatoes until smooth. Stir in flour and salt. Scrape into a bowl and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled through, about 2 hours.

SCOOP chilled potatoes in scant 1 tbsp portions. The smaller the tot the better, but it takes a bit of time. Working on a lightly floured surface, and with floured hands, form the potato scoop into a cylinder shape. Dip into egg mixture to coat and then roll in breadcrumbs. Transfer to a parchment-lined plate. Repeat with remaining potatoes, egg and breadcrumbs. Freeze tots for 1 hour.

HEAT 2 inches of oil in a pot over high heat until the oil reaches 340-350F. Drop frozen tots into oil a few at a time, being sure not to crowd the pot. Cook until deep golden, about2 min. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining tots.

Three dipping sauces

Enjoy your warm and salty taters with three of our fave dipping sauces - they're ideal for these little devils. This combination makes the perfect breakfast side dish, or enjoy them as hors d'ouvres, too.

Classic sweet and spicy bbq sauce

Lemon pepper aioli

Spicy olive oil mayo