Tater Tot Waffles with Proscuitto, Mustard and Poached Eggs

Went to a bounce dance class with some girlfriends recently, in the name of exercise. In the mirror, if I’m being charitable to myself, I looked like a marionette in the hands of an unskilled, perhaps drunk, puppeteer. Even when it isn’t pretty, adrenaline and a good bath in your own endorphins is the best thing for the soul. Dance your heart out. Then treat yourself to a tater tot waffle with some poached eggs. For brunch and dinner. Tater tots? I’ll take Best of Childhood for 1000, Alex.

Tater Tot Waffles with Proscuitto, Mustard and Poached Eggs

Adapted from Food and Wine

Nonstick cooking spray (or olive oil drizzle)

8 cups thawed frozen Tater Tots (32 ounces)

Flaky sea salt

1/4 cup crème fraîche

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

2 cups baby arugula

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

12 thin slices of prosciutto (I used chopped up pieces of pancetta that I sauteed a touch)

Thinly sliced cornichons, for serving

Heat an 8-inch waffle iron; preheat the oven to 200°. Grease the waffle iron with nonstick spray. Spread 2 cups of the tots on it; sprinkle with salt. Close and cook on medium high until nearly crisp, about 5 minutes. Open the waffle iron and fill in any holes in the waffle with more tots, then close and cook until golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet; keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining tots.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the crème fraîche and mustard. In another bowl, toss the arugula with the lemon juice and olive oil. Top each warm waffle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mustard crème fraîche, 3 slices of prosciutto and 1/2 cup of the dressed arugula. Garnish with cornichons and serve.

These are so tasty! A little pro tip: be sure to pack more tater tots into the iron than you think are necessary–if there are gaps, the waffle doesn’t adhere together well and comes apart easily when you try to remove it from the griddle.

This meal was brought to you by the world’s greatest backyard chickens.

Let’s hear it for Loretta Lynn–my blue whale chicken who takes up more than her half of the nesting box and appears to have a ‘tude while she lays mammoth eggs.