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- Photo by Tom Schierlitz for the New York Times
In this month's Recipe Redux for the New York Times, Amanda asks Dorie Greenspan to reconceive an early olive oil-fried potato chip recipe from 1904 (then called Saratoga Potatoes). Dorie doesn't disappoint, dreaming up a Crackery Potato Bugnes with a surprising secret ingredient -- Hungry Jack Potato Flakes (!).
Read the article and see both excellent recipes here.
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12 Comments
thirschfeld
September 29, 2010
I am a big fan of potato flakes. Sometimes when your sweet potato puree is a little to watery you just add a tablespoon or two or the hungry jacks and you are good to go. I can't wait to give these a go I bet they are really good, especially the next day recrisped in the oven with rosemary olive oil.
Amanda H.
October 2, 2010
Didn't know that trick. I found that I didn't need to recrisp them -- but like the rosemary olive oil idea.
AntoniaJames
September 29, 2010
Is there something magical about Hungry Jack flakes? Could I use the flakes that I buy in bulk for bread making, which consist only of dehydrated potato without any other ingredients? Thank you. ;o)
Amanda H.
October 2, 2010
I think they just save you the time of making your own mashed potato to add to dough. Seems like you could definitely use them in bread, I just don't know the proportions, or if you should rehydrate them first. Ok, this is the most unhelpful answer ever. Sorry!
AntoniaJames
October 2, 2010
Actually, I was just asking whether the Hungry Jacks used in the recipe are plain, totally plain, just potato . . . . like the ones I use in making bread, which I buy in bulk. In other words, is there something special about the Hungry Jacks for use in this recipe, or will generic potato flakes work just as well? Thank you.
mariaraynal
September 29, 2010
So, when I read this on Sunday, my big question was why the potato flakes instead of real potatoes? Does the texture lend itself better to the dish? Inquiring minds want to know!
Amanda H.
October 3, 2010
This in from Dorie:
As for why I didn't use real potatoes instead of Hungry Jack ...
The answer is, I didn't even think of it! As I told you on the phone, the idea to make potato bugnes was a true 'inspiration' in that the idea just flew into my brain almost fully formed -- I knew and loved bugnes; I knew that while they were a sweet snack, they only had a pinch of sugar in them, so they could be made into a savory; I knew that a couple of chefs had used potato flakes as a breading, and so I knew the flakes would fry; and somewhere, intuitively, I knew that I could substitute a portion of the flour in my bugnes recipe for potato flakes and get what I was after. (Getting the proportion of flour:flakes right was the hardest part of developing the recipe.)
So, I never even thought of real spuds. Now, considering it, I think you could make something with grated or finely shredded potatoes with as much moisture pressed out of them as possible, but I don't think you'd get the crackery texture of the bugnes. My guess is you could play with recipe and make something delicious, but it wouldn't be a bugne.
As for why I didn't use real potatoes instead of Hungry Jack ...
The answer is, I didn't even think of it! As I told you on the phone, the idea to make potato bugnes was a true 'inspiration' in that the idea just flew into my brain almost fully formed -- I knew and loved bugnes; I knew that while they were a sweet snack, they only had a pinch of sugar in them, so they could be made into a savory; I knew that a couple of chefs had used potato flakes as a breading, and so I knew the flakes would fry; and somewhere, intuitively, I knew that I could substitute a portion of the flour in my bugnes recipe for potato flakes and get what I was after. (Getting the proportion of flour:flakes right was the hardest part of developing the recipe.)
So, I never even thought of real spuds. Now, considering it, I think you could make something with grated or finely shredded potatoes with as much moisture pressed out of them as possible, but I don't think you'd get the crackery texture of the bugnes. My guess is you could play with recipe and make something delicious, but it wouldn't be a bugne.
mariaraynal
October 4, 2010
Thanks, Amanda and Dorie, for answering my question. Makes total sense to me.
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