Potatoes and Molasses: Molasses and Soy Glazed Potatoes

Posted September 12, 2024 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

Last year I watched OVER THE GARDEN WALL and loooved it. If you haven’t heard of the show, it’s a cartoon mini series aimed toward adults in which two young brothers, Wirt and Greg, are lost in an eerie, magical forest called the Unknown. Considered by many to be a modern retelling of Dante’s INFERNO, the show follows the boys as they try to find their way home, encountering danger, monsters, and new friends along the way. OVER THE GARDEN WALL is known for its strong use of symbolism and old-timey art style (which reminded me of the 1929 Walt Disney short Skeleton Dance), as well as its autumnal aesthetic, muted color scheme, and hauntingly beautiful folk Americana music. It’s an annual autumn rewatch for many fans like me, so I decided to make a menu for it!

There’s lots of food in the show, but perhaps the most iconic dish is potatoes and molasses, which is served during Episode 3 in a schoolhouse attended by small animals. Greg sees how sad the animals are eating plain mashed potatoes every day for lunch, so he comes up with the idea to add some molasses and sings them a song about it.

Lots of food blogs have already made film-accurate versions of potatoes and molasses (I especially like this recipe by Feast of Starlight), so I decided to make a re-imagined version. I liked the idea of doing fried potatoes with a sweet and salty glaze, kind of in the style of Korean gamja bokkeum, so I went in that direction. I coated my potatoes with cornstarch to give them a delicate crispness when fried, then tossed them in a glaze of molasses, soy sauce, and garlic.

They’re sooo satisfying: sweet and salty on the outside with a warm and tender center. The perfect snack to sustain you as you travel through the Unknown in OVER THE GARDEN WALL!

A

Potatoes and Molasses

“Oh, potatoes and molasses

They’re so much sweeter than algebra class

If your stomach is grumblin’ and your mouth starts mumblin’

There is only one thing to keep your brain from crumblin’

Oh, potatoes and molasses”

— Potatoes and Molasses, OVER THE GARDEN WALL

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INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE GLAZE
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 3 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
FOR THE POTATOES
- Enough vegetable oil to submerge potatoes
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Makes 4 cups “potatoes and molasses”

INSTRUCTIONS:

FOR THE GLAZE. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 1o minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat.
FOR THE POTATOES. Add vegetable oil to a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk together cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Working in batches when the oil is hot, toss potatoes in cornstarch mix, rubbing away excess. Fry for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain for 1 minute.
Add potatoes to saucepan of glaze and stir to coat. Transfer to a serving plate using tongs.
Serve to the animals in the schoolhouse in OVER THE GARDEN WALL!