“To suit our mainly vegetarian household, we decided that the Thanksgiving sides would become our mains,” says author and publisher Hetty McKinnon. And that menu always, always includes tater tots. This year she decided to turn the tots into an egg bake, which is directly inspired by, and strikingly reminiscent of, tortilla española. A Spanish tortilla is traditionally made with oil-poached potatoes, but using their processed counterparts is not new, notes Hetty: “Many years ago a chef friend shared that she used leftover french fries, and chef Ferran Adrià famously makes his with potato chips.” It turns out that tater tots, with their crispy exteriors and creamy middles, are perfect stand-ins. The finished product is full of texture and somehow still brimming with a tot aroma that’s undeniably familiar, even if you’ve never tasted one. If you’re surprised by (and skeptical of!) the amount of tots in this recipe, don’t worry, a lot of them break down to form a creamy union with the gently set egg.
Recipe information
Yield
6 - 8 Servings
Ingredients
1
2
2
7–8
1½
⅓
1
10
1
1
2
3
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk shallot, orange juice, vinegar, 3 Tbsp. oil, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl to combine; season dressing with pepper. Set aside.
Step 2
Toast almonds in a dry 10" nonstick skillet (at least 2" deep) over medium-high heat, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
Step 3
Wipe out skillet, pour in 2 Tbsp. oil, and reduce heat to medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until very soft but without taking on any color, 10–12 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Step 4
Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl with remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt; season with pepper. Fold in tater tots and let sit 10 minutes.
Step 5
Fold onion into egg mixture (try to keep tater tots intact, but it’s okay if some break up). Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in same skillet over medium-high. Pour egg mixture into pan and flatten surface with a heatproof rubber spatula to make sure tater tots are mostly submerged. Reduce heat to low; cook, undisturbed, watching edges to make sure egg isn’t getting too brown, until golden underneath and top is only a little runny, 20–25 minutes.
Step 6
Using spatula, loosen edges of egg. Wearing oven mitts, place a large plate upside down over skillet and swiftly flip over to turn egg out onto plate. If skillet is dry, add 1 Tbsp oil. Slide egg back into skillet, top side down, and cook until center is just set, about 5 minutes. Transfer back to plate; let cool if desired.
Step 7
To serve, add radicchio, arugula, cheese, and nuts to reserved dressing and toss to combine; season with salt and plenty of pepper. Pile salad on top of tortilla.