Cheesy Cauliflower Tater Tots
Try this Cheesy Cauliflower Tater Tots recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Cheesy Cauliflower Tater Tots recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0.0375554166703722 g
- Cholesterol 2.41870000069803 mg
- Fat 2.50451691691127 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0.486262500004684 g
- Saturated Fat 0.653763466821064 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (6g)
- Sodium 15.5430900014503 mg
- Sugar 0.0375554166703722 g
- Trans Fat 0.127949816682919 g
- Calories 24 calories
Step-by-step
- Clean and trim the cauliflower, adding the florets to a microwave safe bowl.
- Add the cream and butter to the bowl.
- Microwave for 5 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower and cheese to a magic bullet or food processor and blend until still chunky - kind of like a cooked oatmeal consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Chill for at least half an hour.
- Whip the egg whites to a stiff peak.
- Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the cauliflower mixture to lighten it up.
- Then fold the cauliflower mixture into the rest of the egg whites and gently mix until combined.
- For best results, chill for another half hour or they won't hold their shape as well.
- Fit a pastry bag with a round or star tube with about a 3/4 inch opening.
- Spray the inside of the bag with nonstick spray.
- Gently squeeze out 1 inch sections onto a greased cookie sheet, cutting with a butter knife as you go.
- When finished, bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes (or longer if you're skipping the frying) until puffed and slightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and serve - or heat 1/4 inch of oil in a saute pan and when it's very hot add the tots.
- It doesn't need long, a minute per side to turn them golden brown and crispy.
- Serve immediately.
Attempting to form shaped vegetables without removing excess moisture produces a dense paste rather than a crisp-skinned morsel. Cauliflower holds an abundance of water that must be managed through precise thermal processing and careful binding agents. Achieving the right bite relies entirely on respecting structural integrity during mixing and thermal application. Without whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks, the interior lacks the lift required to counteract the heavy moisture content of the vegetable.
Managing Moisture and Structural Integrity
Steaming the florets with heavy cream and butter inside a covered vessel softens the cellular walls while introducing minimal external liquid, creating a foundation that processes down to an oatmeal-like consistency without becoming watery. Chilling the purée for thirty minutes before incorporating the whipped egg whites prevents the residual warmth from deflating the protein structure. When folding the dense vegetable base into the aerated whites, use a wide spatula and gentle circular motions to retain maximum volume. Piping the mixture through a three-quarter-inch opening ensures uniform portions that bake evenly at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for ten to twelve minutes, setting the exterior before any final frying occurs in a skillet with a quarter inch of hot oil.
- If the piped shapes slump on the baking sheet, return the mixture to the refrigerator for an additional thirty minutes to firm the fats.
- Monitor the frying stage closely, turning the pieces after precisely sixty seconds to avoid burning the delicate dairy solids.
- Visual doneness is achieved when the exterior develops a pale golden crust and the center puffs slightly.
