Heston's exploding potato doughnuts

Directions

To start the donuts, preheat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160°C/gas mark 4.

Prick the potatoes all over with a fork then coat them in groundnut oil and place them on a layer of salt spread on a baking tray. Place the tray in the preheated oven for 2 hours.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half.

Place the smoking chips on the bottom of a saucepan and place over a high heat. Using a blowtorch, light the chips until they begin to smoke.

Using aluminium foil, make a “pillow” and place in the centre of the pan. Place the potatoes on top of the pillow and cover the pan with a lid. Allow to smoke for 5 minutes.

When smoked, scoop the flesh from the potatoes and reserve the skins. Put the potato flesh through a sieve and weigh out 130 g. Reserve the remaining flesh for the potato sugar (you will need 70 g to mix with the food colouring).

Place the smoked skins in a pan with the milk over a medium heat and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 20 minutes before straining.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, infused milk and vegetable oil together, then add the baking powder and the flour. Mix in the smoked potato flesh.

Pipe the mixture in rings on to a baking tray lined with baking paper, then place in the freezer for 1 hour.

For the potato sugar, put 75 ml water and the sugar into a saucepan and place over a high heat. Bring up to 160ºC then whisk in the 70 g of reserved potato flesh and the food colouring until crystallised. Sprinkle on to a tray and, once cool, add the popping candy and mix well.

Before serving, fill a saucepan three-quarters full with groundnut oil and place over a high heat until the temperature reaches 180ºC. Remove the donuts from the freezer and fry until golden brown (approximately 5 minutes).

Dip the warm donuts into potato milk jam and sprinkle with potato sugar.

Serving size: 6

Recipe courtesy of sbs.com.au