Potato Smiley Recipe
Tired of the same old potato recipes? If French fries aren’t putting a smile on your face anymore, Potato Smileys will! These fun potato treats are golden, crispy and packed with full out savory flavor. And not only are they surprisingly easy to make, they can be customized to suit your taste.
Sure you can buy potato smileys frozen and just bake them in the oven, but making them yourself is healthier because you know exactly what’s in them. If you love putting these happy faces on your table from time to time, you need to try this recipe at least once.
What Are Potato Smileys Made Of?
Potato smileys are made of partially cooked grated potatoes, cornstarch, breadcrumbs and seasonings. I like to use onion and garlic powders, but you can customize them however you like. Italian herbs like oregano, basil and thyme can create a tempting herb potato smiley. Grated cheeses like cheddar and Parmesan can not only make them to a new level but also add a slightly gooey texture. And if you don’t care much for added flavor, leave these ingredients out and have them plain. It’s up to you!
Can I Bake Potato Smileys In The Oven?
Potato smileys are best deep fried. Not only will they not brown in the oven, the gradual cooking process can make them turn mushy and your hard work will be wasted.
How Can I Make Perfect Potato Smileys?
Here are a few tips to making the best potato smileys:
- When making the potato smiley mixture, let it chill for 30 minutes before rolling it out. This will give the cornstarch and breadcrumbs a chance to absorb any moisture in the dough and your potato smileys will hold their shape.
- Once the potato smileys are cut and smiling, freeze them for at least an hour so they are frozen solid. Frying them at room temperature might make them fall apart and if they do hold their shape, the smiley faces might disappear and you will simply have potato discs.
- Make sure your oil is hot. It should read 375F/190C before dropping them in. If it is not hot enough, they will absorb the oil and be very greasy.
- Don’t fry too many smileys at once. The more you add to the oil, the lower the temperature will become and your potato smileys will take too long to cook and absorb a lot of oil.
I hope you’ll give this recipe for potato smileys a shot and if you do, let me know how they turned out for you!
Potato Smiley Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 grams potatoes about 3 medium
- 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Wash potatoes well and place in a pressure cooker or a pot with enough water to cover them. Add half a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil on medium high heat. If using a pressure cooker, allow to come to pressure and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pressure to drop naturally. If using a pot, boil with cover on for 30 minutes. Remove potatoes from water and allow to cool slightly.
- When potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove skins. Using a box grater, shred the potatoes into a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix together well with your hands to form a dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Once chilled, remove dough from bowl onto a sheet of oiled waxed paper. Roll dough to half inch thickness. Using a round 2-1/2 inch cutter, cut as many circles as you can. You should get around 16. You can gather the scraps together and re roll until all the dough is used up.
- Using the end of a chopstick or similar tool, poke 2 holes to indicate eyes. Use a twirling motion to make generous size holes. Now using a spoon, create a smile shape below the holes to indicate a smiling mouth. Wiggle the spoon back and forth to make the hole fairly wide.
- When all the smiley faces are done, transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Freeze at least 1 hour or until the smileys are frozen solid.
- Heat enough oil for deep frying to 375°F/190°C. The oil must be very hot so the smileys cook quickly. Place 3 or 4 smileys into the preheated oil and cook for 1-2 minutes. It should bubble vigorously. Once browned, flip and cook another minute or 2 until the other side is browned. Do not add too many smileys to the oil or the temperature will drop and they will fall apart. Transfer onto paper towels to drain. Serve immediately with ketchup.