Korean Tornado Potato
A crispy spiral-cut potato skewer fried until golden, then tossed with gochujang mayo and topped with scallions and sesame seeds. Visually stunning and addictively crunchy.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 5g
Ingredients
- 2 whole russet potato, large
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
- 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 whole scallions, green parts only
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, white
Instructions
- 1
Scrub each potato under cool running water with a vegetable brush until the skin is clean, then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- 2
Push a metal skewer straight down through the center of the first potato lengthwise, from the top to the bottom, so the potato stays in place.
- 3
Holding the skewer firmly at both ends, carefully slice the potato by angling your knife about 45 degrees and rotating the potato as you cut, creating a continuous spiral strip around the entire potato.
- 4
Gently slide the spiral potato off the skewer onto a clean cutting board, then soak it in a bowl of cold water with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes to remove starch.
- 5
Repeat steps 2 through 4 with the second potato.
- 6
Drain the soaked potatoes in a colander and pat them very dry with paper towels — moisture will cause splattering when frying.
- 7
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons gochujang, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 0.5 teaspoon rice vinegar until completely smooth and uniform.
- 8
Slice the scallions crosswise into thin rings, separating the white and light green parts from the dark green parts — set the dark green pieces aside for garnish.
- 9
Pour 4 cups vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and a wooden skewer inserted in the oil immediately produces steady, gentle bubbles, about 8 minutes.
- 10
Carefully place the first spiral potato into the hot oil — it will sizzle immediately — and fry, turning once with tongs, until both sides are golden brown and crispy, about 6 minutes total.
- 11
Remove the first potato with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess oil for 1 minute.
- 12
Fry the second spiral potato in the same hot oil, turning once, until golden and crispy, about 6 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- 13
Transfer the first drained potato to a clean plate and drizzle half of the gochujang mayo mixture over the surface in thin, even lines.
- 14
Scatter half of the reserved dark green scallion pieces and half of the sesame seeds over the top in an even layer.
- 15
Repeat step 13 and 14 with the second potato, remaining sauce, scallions, and sesame seeds on a separate plate.
- 16
Serve immediately while the potatoes are still warm and crispy.
Tools you’ll need
- vegetable brush
- clean kitchen towel
- metal skewer (at least 10 inches long)
- cutting board
- sharp chef's knife
- large bowl
- colander
- paper towels
- small mixing bowl
- whisk
- heavy-bottomed pot (at least 3 quarts)
- instant-read thermometer (optional, for oil temperature)
- wooden skewer or chopstick (for oil temperature test)
- slotted spoon
- serving plates
- tongs
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