Sweet Potato Tots with Dill Dust

I saw this on the Food Network while I was working out one day (why do I torture myself and watch food shows while working out?!).  I really like dill so I thought I'd try it for our Super Bowl gathering.  I cut the amount of Kosher salt that was called for in the dill dust and it was still WAY too much.  Other than that, this is a good recipe.  Next time, I would put maybe a couple teaspoons of Kosher salt and more dill.

Ingredients - Dill Dust:

1 bunch dill, roughly chopped

1-2 tsp Kosher Salt 

Ingredients - Sweet Potato

1 large sweet potato

Kosher Salt

1/3 cup flour

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups Safflower Oil

Directions:

For the Dill Dust - Heat oven to 250 degrees.  In a small food processor, blend dill and salt until it's finely ground.  Place mixture on sheet pan and bake until dried, about 30 minutes.

For the Potato - Fill pot with cold water and a little Kosher salt.  Place potato in water and let it come to a boil.  Boil for approximately 5 minutes, until you can insert a knife into the exterior of the potato but the inside is still firm.  

Remove potato from pot and place on cutting board to cool.  Once it's cool, peel the potato.  Cut into small / rough chunks and put in a large food processor.  Pulse the potato 10-15 times to make smaller chunks.  

In a small bowl, combine flour & pepper.  Slowly add that to food processor and pulse a couple of times to mix.  

Heat oil to 350 degrees.  Form potatoes into small balls and gently place a few at a time in the oil.  Fry the potatoes, turning a couple of times, until they are crispy & browned - about 2 minutes per side.  Remove from oil & place on paper towels.  Sprinkle a little of the dill dust over the potatoes as they come out of the oil & are still warm.  Continue frying in small batches until the potatoes are done.  

Enjoy!

New Potatoes with Dill Butter

I subscribe to the Epicurious "recipe of the day" emails and got this one about a month ago.  I pulled it out last night and made the potatoes in dill butter.  The prep was very easy and the potatoes were pretty good.  Next time I make them, I will "crash" them a bit after draining the water and put them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up (with the butter on them).  I think that will make them superb!  I served the potatoes with my grilled meatloaf and a Caesar salad with homemade dressing (recipe will be on the blog next).

Edited to add: I made these with 2 kinds of potatoes now and "crashed" them.  To crash potatoes, follow the method listed below but then use a fork to push gently on the tops of the potatoes to gently break open the potatoes.  I then dabbed the dill butter on the tops of the potatoes and baked them for about 20 minutes on 375 degrees.  Really yummy!

(original recipe - "non-crashed" potatoes)

(revised picture with "crashed potatoes" - not the best pic though)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp (packed) coarsely fresh chopped dill (I didn't use the full 2 tbsp but rather eye-balled it for the amount of butter)
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
2 lbs new potatoes or another small type potato
1 tbsp crushed toasted caraway seeds (optional - I didn't use these)

Directions:
Mash butter and dill together in a small bowl.  Season the dill butter with salt & pepper (This step can be done ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week)
Place potatoes in a large pot with cold water, covering potatoes 1" above the top of the potatoes.  Season water with a little salt.  Bring pot to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes.  Drain potatoes - reserving a small amount of water
Transfer hot potatoes to a medium bowl, add dill butter and 1 tbsp water (from the pot where the potatoes just boiled).  Toss, adding small amounts of water as needed to ensure butter coats the potatoes.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with extra dill and caraway seeds, if desired.