Friends: Joey Tribbiani’s Tater Tots

Place the clean and peeled potatoes in a large pot of cold water with a large pinch of salt. Place the pot of medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for around 6 minutes until the potatoes are cooked but still quite firm. Drain and cool the potatoes.

I love the texture of tater tots and the little bits of tender potatoes in the middle. At this point, you can shred the potatoes with a box grater or you can finely mince them with a knife. I prefer finely mincing the potatoes. It takes more time but it's so worth it! The potatoes should be very firm and starchy.

Combine the potatoes with the flour, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. The mixture should be slightly tacky and it should come together easily when pressed together. If not, adjust the amount of flour or add a few drops of water to achieve that consistency.

Start to form the potatoes into tots. I found it easier to form with clean and lightly wet hands. Make sure to tightly pack the potatoes because I had a few break apart in the fryer that were not packed tightly enough.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat with enough oil to cover the tots. Once hot, carefully drop the tots in the hot oil. If any of the tots feel loose, make sure the press it back firmly to prevent it from breaking in the oil. Avoid moving the tots too much in the oil. Once golden brown, drain it on a cooling rack.