Potato Napoleon

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon agar

• 1⅓ cups whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 sheet gelatin, bloomed
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 pound Idaho^® russet potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 8 cups vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup popcorn kernels
• 3½ tablespoons butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• 2 egg whites
• ½ cup sugar

• 1 cup mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries and blueberries) for garnish

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and process for about 1 minute.
2. Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
3. Pour into a six-pan and chill on ice until it is firm.
4. Cut the strawberry block into ½-inch cubes and transfer to a blender. Blend on high until the purée is smooth.
5. Strain through a chinois and transfer to a squeeze bottle.

1. Bring the milk and vanilla to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt and whisk them into the egg yolks.
3. Temper the milk into the yolk mixture. Return mixture to just a boil, then remove from heat and use an immersion blender to add the gelatin and butter.
4. Transfer to a container, cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap and chill on ice.
5. Once pastry cream is cool, transfer to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and paddle until it is smooth.
6. Switch to the whisk attachment. With mixer running on low speed, stream in the cream and whisk until the diplomat cream reaches medium stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with an 805 tip.

1. Thinly slice the potatoes and rinse under cold water.
2. Bring the sugar and water to a boil.
3. Drop the potatoes a few at a time into the hot syrup. Allow syrup to come back to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook potatoes until they are just cooked through and have lost their crunch.
4. Shock potatoes in an ice bath and then drain.
5. Spread the slices onto two sheet trays lined with silicone mats. Allow potatoes to dry overnight in a very low oven. (For some ovens, the heat from the pilot light might be enough to dry them out.)
6. Heat the vegetable oil to 360° Drop the dehydrated potato slices into the oil one at a time and cook until they reach a medium caramel color. Remove from oil and cool on a rack.

1. Heat the oil in a pot. When hot, add the kernels and shake until the popcorn is about done popping. Transfer popcorn to a half hotel pan.
2. Bring the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt to a boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the baking soda.
3. Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and toss to coat.
4. Bake in a 300°F oven for 1½ to 2 hours, or until it’s no longer sticky. Toss about every 30 minutes.
5. When the caramel corn is done, remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
6. Process caramel corn in a food processor or spice grinder.

1. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together over a double boiler until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Transfer to a stand mixer and whisk on high until the meringue reaches stiff peaks.
3. Using a piping bag fitted with an 804 tip, pipe 25 to 30 small “kisses” of meringue onto a silicone mat or parchment paper. Spread the remaining meringue onto a silicone mat so it’s about a ⅕-inch-thick sheet.
4. Dry the meringue in a low oven (150°F to 200°F) until the kisses are crispy on the outside but still a little chewy in the center (15 to 30 minutes). Continue to dry the sheet of meringue until it’s completely dry (45 minutes to 1 hour). Cool on a rack. Break up sheet of meringue into pieces.

1. Using an offset spatula, spread about 1½ teaspoons strawberry gel on the center of a plate.
2. Pipe about a quarter-size amount of diplomat cream on the plate. Place a potato chip on top of the cream and continue to alternate between cream and potato chip until you have 5 to 7 chips on the plate.
3. Dust the top with caramel corn powder and garnish with meringue and berries.