Fried Mashed Potato Balls

May 2040. Maya turned six last week and she has decided that cooking is the thing she wants to do on Sundays when she comes to visit. Not sometimes — every Sunday. She arrived last weekend with a specific request: she wanted to learn to make sopapillas. She said her teacher at school had asked the class what food was special in their family and she had said sopapillas and the teacher had said what are those and Maya had said I'll bring some in if I can learn to make them.

So we made sopapillas. I showed her the dough — the proportions, why baking powder goes in, why you rest it. She watched with her hands folded on the counter and her eyes tracking every step. When it was time to cut the dough into squares she did it with a concentration that was, honestly, affecting to watch. Then the oil — I handled the frying, she handed me the squares — and we watched them puff up golden and she said: they're alive! I said: the steam inside does that. She said: steam makes them puff? I said: heat makes water into steam and steam needs space. She considered this for a long time and then said: so cooking is science. I said: yes, exactly. She said: I like science. I said: I know. That's why you're going to be good at this.

She brought a Tupperware of sopapillas to school Monday. She texted me (she has a phone now, which still startles me, but six-year-olds have phones apparently) a photo of her teacher holding a sopapilla. The teacher had written: amazing!! Her teacher's exclamation points may be the single most gratifying thing I've earned in retirement so far.

After Maya’s sopapilla triumph — the teacher’s exclamation points are still living rent-free in my head — she arrived this Sunday ready to fry something again. She had decided, apparently, that frying is her domain. So we made these fried mashed potato balls, and sure enough, the moment they hit the oil and crisped up golden on the outside, she said: they puff a little too. She’s not wrong. Same science, different dough — and the look on her face was exactly the same.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 6 (about 18 balls)

Ingredients

2 cups mashed potatoes (cooled, leftover works great)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 green onions, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying (about 3 cups)

Instructions

Mix the filling. In a large bowl, combine the cooled mashed potatoes, cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until fully combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up.
Form the balls. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture and roll into a ball between your palms. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Set up the dredging station. Place the flour in one shallow bowl, the beaten eggs in a second bowl, and the breadcrumbs in a third.
Coat each ball. Roll each potato ball in flour, shaking off the excess, then dip in egg, then roll in breadcrumbs to coat thoroughly. Return to the baking sheet.
Heat the oil. Pour vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat over medium-high heat to 350°F. Use a thermometer if you have one — temperature matters.
Fry in batches. Working in batches of 4—5 at a time, carefully lower the potato balls into the oil. Fry for 3—4 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides. Do not crowd the pot.
Drain and serve. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with flaky salt while still hot. Serve immediately with sour cream or your favorite dipping sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Fried Mashed Potato Balls — The Science of the Puff, Explained to a Six-Year-Old