FOOD HOLIDAY: National Tater Tot Day
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February 2nd is National Tater Tot Day. Chefs nationwide have been putting their own twists on this American comfort food. At The Eddy in New York City, the potato is blended with bacon prior to frying. The tots are served in a pool of mustard sauce, topped with pickled mustard seed and English pea purée (we substituted homemade basil mayonnaise). Tater Tots are an American side dish made from deep-fried, grated potatoes. They are miniature croquettes: crisp little cylinders of hash brown-style potatoes. Tater is an dialect form of potato (first found in print in 1759), and “tots” came from their small size. Although the name may seem generic, Tater Tots® is a registered trademark of Ore-Ida. Tater Tots were created in 1953 when Ore-Ida’s founders, brothers F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg, were considering what to do with leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes from their French fries. They chopped them up, mixed them with flour and seasonings, and pushed logs of the grated/mashed potato mixture through a form, slicing off and frying small pieces. The rest is history. The Ore-Ida brand was acquired by H. J. Heinz Company in 1965. What’s with pickled mustard seeds? Over the last year or so, they’ve become a trend with chefs, some of whom use them as a condiment with fatty foods (bacon, charcuterie, fried food, pastrami, etc.). |
 [1] Tater Tots interpreted at The Eddy in New York City, with pea purée and pickled mustard seeds (photo © The Eddy | NYC).
[2] Pickled mustard seeds. Here’s the recipe (photo © OurDailyBrine.com). |
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The Eddy paired them with their version of Tater Tots. To make your own, follow this recipe from OurDailyBrine.com to make your own pickled mustard seeds. |
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