You may be someone like me, who starts each day with the grand ambition to be startlingly efficient but ends up clicking random links on social media at 4 pm, wondering if they can find any chocolate. You may have been tempted by the day’s most popular food recipe, a delicious recipe for tater-tot waffles.
What could be better than tater-tot waffles to satisfy your craving for a delicious snack? Nothing, nope, nada. It lost me, however, when it said to smush a frozen bag of tots onto a waffle maker. Not because they wouldn’t taste good or because I wouldn’t say I like frozen tater-tots. But because, if I were to find a frozen bag in a dark kitchen, I would not want to mash it into something unrecognizable as a tot. I’m a big fan of the cylinder-shaped tots.
Latke was the next thing I thought of when I had the idea for a great breakfast waffle made with shredded potatoes and seasoning. I do this often in potato matters. A crispy, coarsely shredded potato and onion pancake is a great addition to many meals. Breakfast, of course, is one of them. Topped with an egg.
Of course, since I suspect you are not snipping chives before eight most weekday mornings, you might enjoy these, as we did, as breakfast for dinner. I like to have b-f.d. (also known as its acronym) on Mondays. Whether you are a meatless Monday person or want a cozy meal after a long weekend, this is perfect. Even Monday mornings, especially those like this one with the fog can be difficult. Tucking in the breakfast, you would have preferred to eat at the end makes the day go quicker.
Should we discuss the crispy-fried egg more? This egg revelation makes me so obsessed that I almost feel it deserves its post. What do you think about this? [Update! Crispy Egg, as promised.
Latke Waffles
To start with, I used the standard recipe for latkes. However, it benefited from an additional egg and extra flour to make the batter more waffle-like. It tastes better with black pepper. Melissa Clark gave me a tip to add baking powder to latkes two years ago. It gives them a nice boost. It’s hard to get these latkes crisp. Waffle irons trap a lot of steam, and potatoes tend to steam a lot when cooking. I found that toasting them in the oven gave me a crisper edge. You can also keep them warm as you prepare the batter and cook the potatoes. Then, you can add some bacon or eggs to the top.
This recipe yields three 8-by-10-inch waffles that break down into 18 smaller rectangles. I would say this serves 4 to 6 people.
Peeled Russet or Baking Potatoes (about 2 pounds or 1 kilogram), one medium onion (about 6-7 ounces),
Two teaspoons of baking powder
Table or acceptable sea salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons (about 9.4 grams).
Freshly ground black Pepper
1/2 cup plus two tablespoons (80 grams) all-purpose flour
Four large eggs
Waffle iron nonstick spray
For garnish, two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh chives (totally optional).
Heat oven to 350. Set aside a large baking pan and lightly oil it.
Grainshred the onion and potato in a food processor. Lay the potato in the food processor’s chute to get longer strands. Transfer the grated mixture into a bowl with a fuzz-free dishcloth or cheesecloth. Then, pull up the sides to form a bag with the grated ingredients and twist the cloth until all the liquid is squeezed out. Allow to stand for 1 or 2 minutes and squeeze again.
Add the shredded onion and potato to the bowl after you have drained the liquid. Sprinkle salt, baking powder, and black pepper on the mixture. Stir with a fork to distribute. Stir in flour and stir again until all pieces are coated. Use a knife to break the yolks, and then start the mixture.
Waffle irons should be heated to high temperatures. After the waffle iron is hot, spray lightly with nonstick spray. Spread the latke mix evenly on top. The latkes should be a deep, golden brown on the bottom. The bottom color is better than the top, but this will be evened out in the oven.
Place the baking sheet in the oven. Continue with the remaining latke mixture. Continue to cook latke waffles until crispy (about 5-10 minutes) or until the rest of your meal is ready.
You can serve them breakfast-style with applesauce, sour cream, or eggs and bacon. The eggs are also good with sour cream. Chives add a nice touch.
