Cacio e Pepe Tater Tots

DID YOU KNOW that tater tots were initially invented as a way to use up scraps left over in the industrial production of french fries?

Done in 1 hour

Serves 4

Dish by Hugh Woodward

Ingredients

What you'll need:

900gfrozen French fries

2 tbsppotato starch

70ggrated pecorino

70g grated parmesan

2 tbspfresh coarsely ground black pepper

1 tbspflaked sea salt

3 litresfrying oil

Neither did we. But it's true! Taking this scrap of useless information as inspiration, we thought what's the point in painstakingly grating loads of potatoes, squeezing out their horrid juice etc. Why not just smash some chips up and stick some stuff in them? That, friend, is how this recipe was born...

Method

Use a food processor to smash up the chips. It helps if they are partially defrosted. This should take a few pulses - don't blend them too much as you need them to be in small pea sized chunks to get the right texture.

Preheat your frying oil to 170°C

Mix in the starch, cheeses, pepper and salt.

Use your hands to squeeze them into small cylinders, then fry them in batches until they are crisp and deep golden brown.

Serve warm, grated with more cheese, with a marinara sauce to dip.

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Hugh Woodward

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Hugh's culinary life began aged 14 when he cooked spaghetti hoop burritos to impress girls. Since then his colourful career has taken him to performing in Skegness, making cheese in Peckham, running a wine bar on Columbia Road and reluctantly working in a (briefly) Michelin Starred restaurant. He likes fish, things cooked on charcoal, cheap dinners and London's rich cultural tapestry of food shops. When he's not cooking or eating he can be found mudlarking by the river Thames, buying bits in flea markets and hanging out with his cat Keith.