Fried Tater Tots with a Sweet & Spicy Thai-Inspired Glaze
One of my favorite things I ate while shooting an episode of Zimmern List in Portland, Oregon was a plate of tater tots paired with a spicy chile glaze. Inspired by this delicious and addictive dish, I decided to create my own tater tot masterpiece featuring the flavors of Thailand and Vietnam. The result is this recipe—easily the most crave-able dish I’ve made in a long time. Sweet and spicy, crunchy and soft, hot and cold, this dish is all about the joyousness of contrasts.
Watch Andrew make this recipe:
Bang Bang Tater Tots
Ingredients
Tater Tots
- 2 quarts peanut oil
- 4 cups frozen tater tots
The Sauce
- 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
- 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/3 cup Thai sweet chile sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 12 slices of fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon peanuts, crushed
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon peanuts, toasted and crushed
- Small handful of mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
In a large heavy pot or wok, heat the peanut oil to 385 degrees F. Add the tater tots and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, or until brown and crisp. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt.
Place the chile flakes and sesame seeds in a sauté pan over medium heat. Allow to toast for a minute, then add all of the remaining sauce ingredients. Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar. Cook the sauce until thickened and glazy, about 3 minutes. Add hot tater tots and cook for another minute, tossing to coat all of the tots. Pour out onto a plate and garnish with crushed peanuts, mint and scallions.
