Recipe: Salmon, Dill & Yuzu Duck Fat 'Tater Tots'

On this episode of Epicurious' 4 Levels videos, Lead Chef and Operations Manager Joshua Resnick takes his tots to new heights.

First, he forms them out of a confit pommes pave, then fries them in duck fat, tosses them with flaky sea salt and fresh dill, and then serves them with spherified yuzu, salmon roe and crème fraîche (natch). 

Well done, Chef. We never knew how high tots could fly.

More ICE chef recipes featured in Epicurious videos:

• The Ultimate Birthday Cake Techniques
• Elevate Your Next Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Egg
• How to Make the Best Poutine Ever
• Chef Chris Scott's Buttermilk Lemonade Fried Chicken
• Pan de Platano: Caribbean Plantain Banana Bread

Recipe

Salmon, Dill & Yuzu Duck Fat 'Tater Tots'

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

For the Confit Pommes Pave:

• 150 grams duck fat
• 2 kilograms Russet potatoes, peeled and held in water (whole)
• Kosher salt, as needed

For the Crème Fraîche:

• 450 grams heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
• 70 grams buttermilk
• 10 grams salt

For the Spherified Yuzu:

• 800 grams neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
• 300 grams yuzu juice
• 3 grams agar agar powder

For Finish and Garnish:

• 3 quarts duck fat
• Flakey sea salt (like Maldon), as needed
• 50 grams picked dill, finely minced
• 4 ounces salmon roe
   

Directions

For the Pommes Pave:

1. Preheat an oven to 300°F. Line an 8” square baking pan with parchment paper with a 3-4 inches of overhang on each side.
2. Melt the duck fat in a small pot, then transfer to a bowl large enough to hold all of the potatoes.
3. Using a Japanese mandoline, slice the potatoes into rounds 3-4 millimeters thick directly into the duck fat; toss the potatoes in the fat after each potato is complete. Continue until all potatoes are sliced.
4. Place a single layer of potatoes down in the pan, season lightly with kosher salt then top with another layer, ensuring that all gaps are filled, and season again. Continue until all potatoes are layered then pour in any excess duck fat from the bowl over top.
5. Fold over the excess parchment paper to completely cover the top and bake in the oven for 90 minutes to 2 hours or until tender.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature before placing another 8" baking pan on top, pressing down to remove any air pockets then transfer to the fridge with weight on it overnight to chill.

For the Crème Fraîche:

1. Preheat an immersion circulator to 100°F (37.8°C).
2. Combine all ingredients in a sterilized, quart-sized mason jar. Place a new lid on top and tighten all the way before loosening by ¼ turn.
3. Place the jar in the water bath and cook for 9 hours.
4. Remove the jar from the water bath, and run under cold tap water for 10 minutes before transferring to an ice bath to cool completely.
5. Store in a fridge sealed until ready.

Prepare the Spherified Yuzu:

1. Place the neutral oil in a tall container, like a plastic quart container, and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours to chill completely.
2. Once the oil is chilled, place the yuzu juice and agar agar powder in a small pot and heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.
3. Remove from heat, and allow the mixture to cool slightly before transferring to a squeeze bottle with a fine tip.
4. Carefully drip the warm liquid into the oil, allowing for small spheres to form and drop slowly to the bottom of the container.
5. Once all of the liquid has been spherified and allowed to chill, strain through a fine mesh strainer, rinse with cold tap water and transfer to an air-tight container to store cold until ready to use.

For Finishing and Garnishing:

1. Place the duck fat in a large pot and preheat to 350°F.
2. While the fat heats, unmold the tots from the pan, remove the parchment paper, trim off the edges, cut into 1.5-2"-square cubes and set aside.
3. Separately, combine equal parts of salmon roe with the yuzu spheres in a bowl and carefully stir to combine; keep cold until ready to use.
4. Fry the cubed potatoes in the duck fat until golden brown on the outside and hot in the middle. Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl with a slotted spoon or a spider.
5. Toss gently to remove excess fat, season with crushed flakey sea salt and toss with minced dill to coat the outside of the potatoes.
6. Spoon a dollop of the crème fraiche onto a plate and use the back of the spoon to create a well. Place the potatoes into the well and top with the yuzu-salmon roe mixture and dill sprigs to garnish.