Crispy Chili Potatoes

Ingredients:

Poached Potatoes

• 2 pounds Melissa’s Dutch Yellow Peewee Idaho® Potatoes, unpeeled
• 2 quarts water
• 1 1/3 cups tamari
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 2 (2-inch) pieces ginger
• 2 dried Thai chiles
• 2 tablespoons salt

Tempura Batter

• 2 cups tempura batter mix
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup dried Thai chili flakes

Sneaky Mayo

• 2 cups Kewpie® mayonnaise
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 green Thai bird’s eye chiles, de-stemmed
• Salt, to taste

Assembly

• Oil for frying
• Poached Potatoes (see recipe)
• Cornstarch for dusting
• Tempura Batter (see recipe)
• Salt, to taste
• Sneaky Mayo (see recipe)
• 1 cup scallions, thinly sliced, green parts only

Instructions:

Poached Potatoes

1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine all ingredients and bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until potatoes are just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove potatoes from water and let cool completely.

Tempura Batter

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl until there are no lumps.

Sneaky Mayo

1. In a blender, combine all ingredients and purée until smooth. Pass through a strainer to remove any larger pieces. Season to taste. Reserve refrigerated until use.

Assembly 

1. Heat a deep fryer to 350°F. Lightly dust potatoes with cornstarch, then coat them in Tempura Batter and drop them into the fryer one at a time, being careful they don’t stick together. Fry potatoes in batches until batter is golden brown and potatoes are hot in the center, 4 to 5 minutes. Season potatoes with salt and drain on paper towels.
2. Place some Sneaky Mayo on the bottom of a bowl or plate. Place 10 potatoes over mayo and add dollops of mayo on top of each potato. Garnish with scallions and any tempura bits that are left from frying.