Tater Tots

I first had Tater Tots years ago at a breakfast place on a visit to New York, and I've since bought the frozen kind at the supermarket. They remind me of a crispy potato dish we do in France called pommes dauphines. I decided to make my own by mixing things like cheese and truffles and diced vegetables with the grated potatoes, forming them into balls, and frying them in clarified butter. They stay crispy for a long time and they're just so delicious and fun. —Michel Richard, Citronelle, Washington, D.C.