Don't Buy Tater Tots, Make These Instead!

[@mynameisandong]

What is the best sauce for Tots? Don't say ranch 👀 Expand your scientific horizon with Brilliant! Use our link brilliant.org/Andong to get 20% off the annual premium subscription

[@haneytr3s]

Clearly you already know the answer.

[@DeutscherInNC]

There exists a mythological sauce - it can be only found in a hidden valley...

[@alysoffoxdale]

Good tots don't need sauce. But if they come out dry after baking, I use barbecue sauce.

[@joantrotter3005]

I make a sauce with Hellman's mayonnaise, chipotle mustard, and teriyaki sauce. Also very nice on fried chicken.

[@Berkana]

Andong, there's a better way to shape the tots rapidly. Use a slightly oiled plastic sheet on a sushi rolling mat. This will rapidly form a lump of the dough into a log. Then just cut the log into tots. If you don't have a mat, use greased parchment paper, and use the bench scraper to push and roll the dough into a log. This is way easier than the method you are showing.

[@AustynSN]

Bit of trivia, but... Store bought tater tots are actually fried not boiled on the first cook. Same as fries. In fact, they originally were fries. Basically, somebody at the Ore Ida company realized that when they made fries, they were throwing a LOT of product away after the first fry of their 2-fry method. All the tiny unusable scrap pieces unsuitable to be french fries were waste. So, they gathered up a bunch of the waste, smashed it together into little balls and fried those up. The rest, of course, is history.

[@SteveEh]

Just made these! Followed the directions... Mostly. My potatoes didn't end up soft enough, so I added a little mash potato in, worked out great.

[@OlNoName720]

Really like this kind of style for your recipe videos. Straight and to the point, while also having your great production and personality.

[@johnjacobjinglehimerschmid3555]

When I have tater tots at dinner, I make enough so that I have a bunch left over. Then the next morning I smash them flat and fry them in butter till crispy. Better than hashbrowns.

[@greggleswong]

I think a piping bag plus scissors or some other cutter would be easier for forming the shape.

[@yvonnecrozier4536]

Good idea!

[@Adam1llion]

Tots are my absolute favorite way to eat a potato. By far the superior way to eat a fried spud 🥔 I was deeply saddened when you said they are not in your area. But the way you made them is glorious. Such a nice crunch and the color was beautiful.

[@icecreamrollscraze]

These homemade tater tots look amazing! I love how you broke down the process step by step. Definitely better than I bought from store!

[@florianb81]

Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year to you snd everyone who reads this

[@andersjjensen]

In the year 4545 mankind will still be arguing over how best to fry potatoes in fat for that instant dopamine hit of crisp, fatty, salty starch.

[@Getpojke]

You can use the analogue tater tots or hash-brows as a nice crispy topping to a casserole or stew - like someone deep-fried your cottage/shepherds pie.

[@michelhv]

Berliners more familiar with oily gloves than Tater Tots, study reports.

[@monstermcboo7282]

🤣🤣🤣

[@GeneralKenobi69420]

I was literally about to comment, did he find those gloves in some secluded back alley store that sells rubber dog masks and human-sized horse harnesses or something? I couldn't find gloves like that anywhere even if I tried 💀

[@andersjjensen]

@@GeneralKenobi69420 What? White, blue and black nitrile gloves are the default colors. White for medical work, blue for kitchen work and black for dirty work. You'll find these at every mechanics shop everywhere. If anyone is going to get kinky my first guess would have been the white ones "for a very thorough examination".

[@RochelleHasTooManyHobbies]

​@@GeneralKenobi69420 They're widely available in the US, though? I've worked in several laboratories, two of them had black gloves AND blue ones. The black ones were slightly thicker, which helped a lot when you were doing a high-manipulation task. Changing gloves constantly is very frustrating.

[@elihei164]

Why would i make Tots, when we have ✨Kroketten✨

[@mattymattffs]

They are a pain in the butt to make though. Tots are much easier to make and they are different enough. I would say they're inferior, but I can see how you would like all those different textures

[@Sibl3o]

Why would I bake anything when I can buy them in a restaurant🤷‍♂️ What a strange question.

[@PYROWORKSTV]

Kroketten rule

[@darkhogie9760]

Kroketten is mid tier

[@madame.banoffee]

Ein Herz für Kroketten ❤

[@DopeEx]

Wenn Kartoffelpuffer und Kroketten ein Kind hätten.

[@m0llux]

Kropuffer?

[@yoshi71249]

@@m0llux Puffetten!

[@G-boi]

Happy New year wishes to you Andong.

[@JohnLumagui]

Unsurprisingly, ketchup is better with tots than fries. As a Midwesterner, I've eaten my body weight in tots. (Several times over!)

[@flatmarx]

being a fellow German, I have been craving these since I was in the states the last time - I always had a few servings when I was over there, but now I know how to make them myself. #unstoppable :)

[@darkplasmo7921]

Du kannst sie im Edeka kaufen? Kartoffeln Kroaten, die nicht paniert sind, werden überall verkauft

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

My smashed potatoes turn out similar to your smashed tots! I usually choose the smaller "baby" potatoes, par boil with the skin on, then smash them onto a preheated, oiled cast iron pizza pan. Seasoned with salt, pepper, some garlic and onion powder, and some dried dill...😋

[@Getpojke]

Those little Tempura frying pans are good aren't they. Had one for a while & handy when wanting to fry things outside as BBQ's.

[@Sandra-d4h]

Yes, they really are! Andong had me buy one (affiliate Amazon link in older video) and I am a happy fryer ever since! Andong, pls do the link again in the description, more ppl want to buy one ❤

[@peraltarockets]

Thanks, I was about to ask what one of those were, but figured someone in the comments would know.

[@LYLEWOLD]

@@peraltarockets Same here.

[@LYLEWOLD]

Thanks for mentioning the pan. I was wondering about that.

[@fabiancbarrio]

Love it 😍

[@stephaniegee227]

Definitely going to try this one!

[@irencsak]

I was about to run down to the comments to add that if you end up with more taters than you want to to totify, you can freeze them or make smashed tots, all things I learned from my grandmother, and you included here too, loved the vid, great info for the tater tot uninitiated

[@pxppetrot]

Quick and to the point! Great video, Andong.

[@bdjm8595]

Gonna try this!!

[@WalkingTours-TV]

👋So schön, klasse !!! Vielen Dank, dass du es mit uns geteilt hast, 👍Neuer Abonnent hier und freue mich darauf! 🎄🎄 Frohes neues Jahr und frohe Weihnachten 🎄🎄 💛🤗🙋 Grüße aus Istanbul, Türkei 🇹🇷💛🤗🙋!!!!!!!!

[@lucascady4992]

That's a good Video Brother! I would definitely par fry and freeze so I could make 100 of these at a time! 😮

[@no1BIGT]

Made them today! Definitely delicious. Just a lot of time and work. I’d rather buy them and it be convenient, but if I didn’t have the option of buying like yourself so thankful for this recipe! I do plan to leave America in the future to Japan! Not sure they have tots there lol so glad to know this!

[@DebbieCawthra]

These look amazing! I will try them. Where did you get that fryer?

[@RochelleHasTooManyHobbies]

Someone else in the comments called it a "Tempura Frying Pan", maybe start there if nobody has a clearer answer.

[@Foamypeon]

Whats the pot you are using for frying? The built in thermometer and drip tray looks handy

[@benson7374]

"First oil up"

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

That's what she said!

[@KODIAKJAYMZ]

What the name is the fry pot you’re using

[@ThisRandomGuyYouDidntNotice]

as a fellow german i honestly had to google croquettes vs tater tots first ^^ apart from that, great vid as always!

[@spinni81]

I use the variety Laura for pretty much any kind of potato dish. They are "vorwiegend festkochend" and have a great flavor. I will make this but I don't think they are competitor to French fries, they are too different.

[@charlenemack7040]

You cannot find tater tots where you live. What, do you live on the planet Bizarro?

[@anasevi9456]

Nah, I will keep buying Tater tots, or as we call them Potato Gems. In Australia; ALL of our fluffy thicker skinned mealy potatoes are bought up by the restaurant and frozen food industry! The singular type of potatoes available at an Australian Supermarket; be Coles, Aldi, IGA or a Woolies: Are those terrible thin skinned waxy ones that fry like floppy soggy sh!t and make custardy mash. May be white, yellow and red; but they are all the same and cook the same. This means no frying at home unless you buy it prep made and ready for the airfryer.

[@thhseeking]

Sydney, here... I buy frozen mashed potato & if I can get them "Utopia" skin-on chips. The only time I buy potatoes is when I want baked potatoes. Supermarket fare is pretty much "mono-culture". You'd have to move to the country to get variety. Tasmania would be good :P

[@ajkurp5919]

Hi from Idaho! Yeah, we've got tots. But I'm doing your recipe anyway!

[@michaelminasian4891]

Thank you for continuing to make sub 10 minute videos!

[@swedneck]

now if only a fifth of the video wasn't a sponsorship

[@greggleswong]

I'm also curious if lazy tots with thin skins and a food processor would work...

[@herzogsbuick]

"here at Lazy Tot Ranch, our potatoes just sit around all day, bulking up for the day they get to feed ya"

[@no1BIGT]

I feel like it’s worth a try. Try it with 1 potatoe and if it goes well keep it up

[@ivythay4259]

ive not had tater tots in years. time to rectify this.

[@whyjay9959]

Could you mix the potato with some ground poultry?

[@Bevity]

Try it and let us know.

[@andersjjensen]

You won't get as crisp a result. I honestly think it would be better to make some poultry meat balls and fry them separately. Deep fried meat balls, basically of any ground meat, are good as long as you don't make them too big. Roll them in flour or starch before dunking them in.

[@cariiinen]

The flat ones are reminiscent of latkes?

[@MissDatherinePierce]

Maybe some of my fellow Germans can help me out but how exactly are tater tots different to the small Röstitaler (not the big ones that are more like patties but those that are about the size of a 2€ coin) available at E-Center and Globus? Looking at this, it looks like only the shape differs but else it is the same.

[@spinni81]

I assume Rösti are made from raw potatoes like a Kartoffelpuffer (but without eggs and flour).

[@phileas007]

Röstikroketten next?

[@yitziyyb]

Last ones were basically Latkas

[@whyjay9959]

Would this work without the initial boiling?

[@a_l_e_k_sandra]

No

[@e.o.486]

Yes, most likely, maybe add some more starch powder.

[@andersjjensen]

You don't get as nice an outer texture. Boiled potato firms up nicer when fried. Same reason you boil fries first, before double frying them, if you want them extra good.

[@whyjay9959]

Well, I tried. Could not get the strips to stick at all. Hoped to keep more of the potatoes' flavor and nutrition, but will try as instructed next time.

[@MrSimonj1970]

I had some in the UK this week - called Hash Brown Bites (Asda) and they were TERRIBLE! Going to try these when I find some MSG

[@andersjjensen]

Nearly all frozen potato products suck donkey rectum compared to home cooked versions. Heck, most convenience products sacrifice all notions of quality in exchange for being cheap and quick to make.

[@sroJumper]

So, are Röstis the same then? There's different variants besides the well known triangle, like tiny round disks or croquette shaped ones.

[@RainOrigami]

Rösti are usually made by grating raw potato instead of cooking them before like here. More like flat hash browns. Also not deep fried.

[@psibiza]

You could say that they're the same because both are grated potatoes fried in oil. But the recipes are different. There's no additional starch in Rösti and they're only seasoned with salt (some add a pinch of pepper). The authentic shape are 15-25cm discs (depending on the size of the pan) and 1-2cm thick. They're also not deep-fried but pan-fried and the oil to use is either butter, clarified butter, lard or a mix of these.

[@Dikucow]

Hi! Um as someone not too used to the German potato style, which ones are "mealy potatoes" here? Speisekartoffeln? D:

[@spinni81]

In Germany potatoes are sold in three varieties "mehlig kochend" (=mealy which means very starchy, used for mashed potatoes or dumplings), "festkochend" (not starchy, great for fries or salads) and "vorwiegend festkochend" (somewhere in between, can be used for many dishes). Personally, I mostly use a "vorwiegend festkochend" variety (like Laura or Quarta). I find them perfect for pretty much anything I make.

[@drjekelmrhyde]

Lazy way would be to use the bagged shredded potatoes in the breakfast aisle

[@critterjon4061]

Germany not having tater tots should be a point of shame

[@andersjjensen]

Not having every industrially made convenience product known to man should be a point of pride.

[@RaphisWorkshop]

Naive frage aus der schweiz, gibts in deutschland keine rösti-kroketten?

[@soldier_4th_class]

So it's just mini nuggets of hash brown

[@dnldnl]

I always order them on Loco Chicken here in Berlin. and they are quite tasty :)

[@voltare2amstereo]

Potato gems out mini hash browns.

[@TobyLegion]

Moin. Wold these work skin (or some skin) left on? I Ifnd that skin ads to the texture and taste of most 'tato recipes. Also: What about all air-fryer?

[@JoeAuerbach]

Holy shit, that grater is dreamy

[@faizaanfazal]

Bro discovered Aaloo ki Tikki at the end.

[@thedennismillerratio]

Coin > Barrel The only reason they we're traditionally more cylindrical was ease of manufacturing. All fried potatoes are good, but the optimal shape of a "tater-tot" is a hill I'm willing to die on.

[@winter2081]

2nd, love your vids dude!

[@DaQatz]

Oven tots are so much better than fryer tots

[@EdGreenTO]

Nice vid. This project screams "air fryer" to me though, trying now ...

[@1998tkhri]

That last one was like a mini latke. Perfect timing for Chanukkah

[@kirillchegrinko2630]

The black oiled gloves are the most German thing you have ever done.

[@e.o.486]

How so?

[@andersjjensen]

@@e.o.486 I gathered from other comments that Germans associate black nitrile gloves with kinky/naughty activities. They would be horrified if they ever when to a Danish mechanic, as here nitrile gloves comes in white, blue and black. White for medical, blue for food industry and black for dirty work.

[@alc5440]

I know they're American but I'm surprised tater tots aren't more of a thing in Germany.

[@TarikDaniel]

We have Kroketten, which is almost the same as tater tots.. Don't know why he is comparing them to fries.

[@markswayne6326]

⁠@@TarikDanielin the US we eat tater tots as an alternative to fries. It's pretty common to have a choice between them at a burger restaurant. If they sell garlic, cheese, gravy, or other topped fries, tots and also have tots, then you can sub them in. They're a great, but messy, base for "Irish nachos". The other way they get used is to top casseroles. They act something like a prefab shepherd's pie topping-"something like" but still quite different. Kroketten are delicious in their own right, but they really aren't the same. Let's celebrate the versatile potato in all the wonderful ways there are to enjoy it.

[@m.r.jarrell3725]

Flat tots are called crowns.

[@RonsarLo]

Omg. You can't buy tater tots where you live?! 😳😢🥺

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

No, they are not a product available on the German market. I think they are available in the UK, though, but under a different name.

[@martinbruhn5274]

We have those in Germany, those are Kroketten.

[@firenter]

So basically croquettes, but without the breading, got it!

[@biendereviere]

Which means I can enjoy them gluten free ❤❤❤ adapting to gluten intolerance is hellish 😮😢

[@thhseeking]

Croquettes are with mashed potato, though...

[@firenter]

@@thhseeking While true, chunky mash also exists. It is in fact what my grandmother used to do, make her chunky-ass mash and roll it into a log and bread it and fry it. Many a good Christmas dinner was had with those croquettes.

[@andersjjensen]

Croquettes are fully mashed. Hash browns and rösti are with graded potato. These are somewhere in between. But yes, it's basically arguing over how to best make potatoes suck up delicious fat and become crisp.

[@KenshiroPlayDotA]

He peeled, boiled, shredded and dunked into hot oil several Kartoffeln. Many Germans were harmed in the making of this video.

[@Jacksirrom]

how do krauts not have tater tots?

[@bastiat691]

Make Tomater Tots next

[@Kroiznacher]

So this is just a version of potato croquettes

[@jeannine1739]

Next step, tater tot hot dish?

[@cariiinen]

Nice

[@djlondon7956]

So ... Tater tots sponsored you to prove it's better to buy them than waste your life attempting to make them yourself?! 😅❤

[@EtherToast]

Don't kroketten count?

[@mynameisandong]

I actually think tots are easier and dare I say better!

[@derkohler2380]

rösti-textured kroketten as it seems 😄

[@wasdasoos6552]

@@derkohler2380 sounds like just the improvement kroketten needed :D

[@america1st721]

"we don't want mashed potato's" then proceeds to make mashed potato's? heavy sigh

[@andersjjensen]

You'd consider that one seriously lumpy and under done mash if you ate the dough.

[@drulex9816]

TTTT Top Tier Tater Tots

[@Zanji1234]

...are... those not just... fancy croquettes??

[@andersjjensen]

Croquettes are with fully mashed potatoes. They are denser on the inside. This is "If croquettes and röstis had a baby".

[@Zanji1234]

@@andersjjensen aaah thanks for the update :D

[@_Mackan]

Bro made potato pellets

[@JohnnyThomas-ps6mp]

So much work for some tots...

[@RainOrigami]

I thought tater tots were just Kartoffelkroketten

[@m0llux]

No, Kartoffelkroketten are breaded (paniert) in a dough made of flour and egg. Also, they are usually filled with smooth potato puree instead of the heterogenous dough shown in this video.

[@theOriginalskillr]

this video is 15% ad

[@mitolito2133]

❤️❤️❤️

[@PhaTs00p]

Das sind doch Röstikroketten

[@brianward7550]

Oh, oh, he said "TOT-less", not...

[@nobodix]

Was it the German or the Russian side that took control over you? :-) Kartoffel or kartofel?

[@jadesea562]

TOTLESS!?!

[@gabrielpowers766]

Where do you live that you can't buy tater tots in a bag at the store? Sounds like an opportunity to make some money by importing them. People love tater tots. Most aren't going to cook yours, though I suspect yours would be the best.

[@Ria-xl7kz]

No, thanks. I don't have that much patience with this much heat from global warming. I will die before those tots get cooked.

[@2failepic]

Are these not called Croquette in the English speaking world? How are these different from Croquettes.

[@MilkGilk]

Size and shape... But true, it's pretty much the same. They're also called Taters in the "English speaking world" lol

[@thhseeking]

Croquettes are made with mashed potato and breaded, not with shredded potato.

[@YoungGirlz8463]

Tots have grated potatoes, but this might actually be better. 👍

[@bensmith4563]

So much work for so little to make this worthwhile you basically have to figure out how to make 100 pounds in one go and freeze them be nice if you could just make a bunch and just sell them but tyrannical government is in the way

[@damiannightwalker8461]

Only old Democrats are exempt from Criminal charges when they're too old other people go to jail and die in prison D, ,

[@Bob-Fields]

What's wrong with you? I am not gonna deep diddly! Oven baked frozen Ore-Ida will do just fine thank you.

[@aviendha1154]

I’ve made these, they’re meh. Good, but nowhere near as good as a hash brown, or even chips. Presumably you need to like tots to enjoy these. They’re better than French fries, but that’s because French fries suck.

[@proffesionalweredog7426]

who asked

[@aviendha1154]

@ who asked you to be this guys guard dog lol. It’s just a lot of effort for a meh result.

[@benson7374]

I have never met a French fry hater

[@baidaan1894]

What French fries did you taste? Belgium ou French ones?

[@aviendha1154]

@baidaan1894 it’s a texture thing. Fries are all crunch no fluff.

[@KODIAKJAYMZ]

What the name is the fry pot you’re using

[@KODIAKJAYMZ]

Never mind, I open up Amazon and there they are under suggestions