# potato skins



## chef m (Mar 10, 2006)

I have a ? about the usage for the insides. We have a set menu but offer lunch specials. could i freeze the insides for future use? if there is any. We do not offer breakfast. The waste is huge. any ideas would be helpfull.


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## dinerminer (Feb 24, 2006)

If you are refering to the insides of a previously baked potato that you are carving out to make potato skins, I'd recommend that you throw them out.
As you are probably aware, baked potatoes are a potentially hazardous food. Unless handled properly, you may be asking for problems by keeping them and trying to use them. Besides, I suspect you are making enough off the skins to compensate for any loss on the innards. Sometimes you have to face the fact that not everything is usable.


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## chef m (Mar 10, 2006)

good point, thanks


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## plongeur (Aug 1, 2005)

Buy some cabbage and make Bubble & Squeak!


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## jolly roger (Jan 27, 2006)

You have create some fun and hijinks by making little balls out of the potato and hiding them in co-workers pants pocket or clogs. Or maybe waiting for a co-worker to walk out to their car and initiating a potato battle!


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## thetincook (Jun 14, 2002)

Fry up those insides or make croquettes. If you can't menu something made with the insides at least use them for family meal. It's not just the food cost your throwing out, its also the labor and energy costs too.

The guys were I used to work would scoop the insides out with the hinge end of a cheap pair of tongs (pretty much a flat strip of metal bent into a u), and kept the pieces together, and tossed them into the deep fry.


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## lamington (May 2, 2003)

Make gnocchi.


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## expatc (Feb 16, 2006)

This whole question just upsets me. I am getting a visual of a 300gram potato, baked then having 298grams thrown out. I am voting for the gnocchi but do SOMETHING with them. Sheesh!!!!!!!!!!! What a lot of waste.


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

You could mix with some chopped onion and egg, for potato pancakes.


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## botanique (Mar 23, 2005)

I was thinking potato pancakes too, but those are best made with grated raw potato (more traditional). But you can throw anything in the deep fryer -- maybe a springboard on Mudbug's & others' ideas and create a new appetizer / bar quicky. Potato balls? Throw in a little salsa verde (so easy) or a spicy creamy cayenne dipping sauce and you're golden (no pun intended :look: ha ha I just kill myself sometimes  ) Or lamington's idea about gnocchi would be great as a lunch special -- also easy, not too time consuming with a simple sauce (butter, cream, cheese, herbs/alium, proscitutto/bacon, vino). I don't know what your menu is like, nor what your role in the decision. Good luck! Cheers.


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## nowiamone (Jan 23, 2005)

Think about saving a percentage of the skins and make a twice baked potato. We are a dinner house and have the reverse problem. We scoop out the pot's add, granulated onion powder, s & p, sour cream and some sliced green onions and pile in the skins, put in the oven. We always have some left over, now and then I'll save the skins for a bar special, but usually throw out 1/3 or more. 

We don't offer a baked pot by the way, only the 2x baked. Their a hit and a draw for us, sometimes offering them as special stuffed with seafood 
(onion/garlic powder, s&p, a little heavy cream, dill, minced crab, scallops, shrimp and bake) 

Bake the pot's the night before, next day pull out, use a plastic hoop to scoop the insides, leave the potato meat a little lumpy, coarsley mash, it makes a fluffier potato, add seasoning, return to shell, one pot to each 1/2 shell. Bake for a few (15 to 20 +/-minutes) when you smell them baking, pull them out. If they bake to long they can split open. We time so they are ready for our dinner hour. Then we cool and micro for the rest. Once prep gets the hang of it, it'll take 20 mins. 

FOH loves it, no sour cream, bacon bit, chive, service!


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## chef m (Mar 10, 2006)

how long can i store the inners for, because usually we make the skins on the weakend and our lunch specials are m-f


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## my mojo (Mar 10, 2006)

What about soups u guys? or a volute? that cream of anything soup or a sauce for something wrap them in bundles of platic and lable and freeze them you'll figure something out


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## chef m (Mar 10, 2006)

someone to;ld me u cant freeze them, which douse not make sence to me because part of the inners are on the skins we freeze. we do have soups that we use reds for. thanks.


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## chef kaiser (Mar 12, 2006)

Potato in history was brought by Colunbus to Europe, France learned only throu Parmentier about the Pomme de terre (earth apple), well therefore the special soup named after him or even the potato cut parmentier named after him, was all about respect to him by the old French Chefs. When he brought it back when he came back home from a German war prison. well more can be said about culinary history..

Sure the inside of your potato can be used for many more preparations just think of mashed potato preparations like duchess, williams, berny, etc. think of the varations of the hash brown potatoes, of which the swiss roesti maybe is the most classical dish, think of gratin potatoes and etc. potato dishes are endless, i think over 365 days you could have a different dish on your menu just with the inside of the potato. 

regards


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

You really shouldn't have a problem coming up with ideas for usage for the insides. There are a million and 1 ways to use them. Use them in soups, in crouquettes, any type of hash (hash doesn't just have to be for breakfast), some type of potato pancake (I have recipes using both raw and cooked potatoes), fillings for savory pastries, gnocchi, mash them and use them for variations on "Shepard's Pie". This is just the tip of the iceberg. Use you imagination. Whatever you do, don't throw them away. That's just throwing cash in the garbage. And as long as you treat them with a little care you shouldn't have to worry about. Just treat them like any other potentially hazardous food following all guidelines and they will be fine.


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## cape chef (Jul 31, 2000)

Not necessary, just ignore.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

chef M,
We run soups for lunch. We have a good responce to any of our potato soups. We just make up names : meat scraps--"Steak and potato soup", bacon,cheddar, sour cream, chive-"Stuffed baked pot". I do a little sweet and sour tweek- "Greman Potato" Hey, don't make it a chore, make it fun! hey, if you only sell a few bowls a day, it right to the bottom line.


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## aprilb (Feb 4, 2006)

If you go through any supermarket you'll find frozen any kind of prepared potatos. I'm thinking that it's the handling that's the issue. Like rice if you don't cool it quickly can harbor bacteria, but I've never even considered that problem with potatos?

Yeah, I'd consider soup...potato leek, baked potato, cream of...a nice squash soup with a chicken stock, onion, and potato base. Croquettes, pancakes, dumplings, biscuits ...don't know any potato based sauces, but it can be used to thicken stews and soups. A nice piped potato whipped with egg yolk and baked. 

A potato head is a terrible thing to waste. (LOL)

April


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Chef M,
Back to the soup idea. What do ya think? 
To all.
Please don't respond to previous, this idiot doesn't even realize his posts are being deleted.
oh BTW a sucessful Chef probably won't feel like they have to tell you they are a chef.

Hey, I forgot to tell ya, that stuffed potato soup has been made with stout before:beer:


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## nentony (May 7, 2005)

I love tambones de Picadillo. It's a casserole with a layer of potato on the bottom, and layer of picadillo, a layer of potato on the top with a little grated cheese on top, baked. Can be done in a big casserole or individual. Picadillo is kinda a hash, every latin county has a version. Kinda like a shepherds pie( this being St. Patrick's Day). Ask and I'll provide several recipes.

Tony


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## thetincook (Jun 14, 2002)

*elbowing Jolly Roger aside for the moment*

Panini,
Now, I'm intriqued.  How'd you do the sweet and sour part of the dish? Did you add sugar, or just used caramilized poix? I assume that it was a "clear" soup. Would mind posting your technique?


Also while we are on the subject of potato soups, my chef at school said that you can only hold small batches (enough for 1/2 shift or so) of cream of potato at a time, since they break very easily. Anyone have any first hand knowledge of this?


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## chef m (Mar 10, 2006)

Panini- yes i think that is an awsome idea, All that waste, we add pot to our soups but they are usually red skins. Which by the way are used for our diiners, so in a sence we are throwing away pot, but using others that are meant for a profit. Im on vacation this week, but i did call the owner to see if he can order some. Unfortunnaly we dont make the soups tottally from scratch, which sucks, but im not the owner. If i wasnt bought off i would go somewhere where i can make from scratch. THANK-YOU.


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## chef m (Mar 10, 2006)

NenTony, I would love to check out the recipes.


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## godsmax (Aug 6, 2005)

I am new to this forum so I will slowly respond though it it not my nature, but I will to learn how things work around here, I wouldn't want to ruffle any feathers from the start, but....

IMO, I would us them like others have said, you can freeze the inside of the potato for later use as long as it is properly cooled and sealed. There are so many things you can use, the most obvious one was pointed out which is soup, there are just so many options.

As far as throwing anything out why would you? There are some studies that show if potatoes sit a room temp that bacteria will deveolpe and spors will grow, but if you chill quickly and properly handle potatoes it will not be an issu to use them in a different form, especially a soup or a croquette.

my 2 cents.... have a great day


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

ChefM.
I just called that soup German Potato because I was going after the taste of potato salad I used to get in the old German Deli's in NY. They did not use mayo, so the twang was from the vinegar that was not blended with mayo.. They sometimes served it warm.
I added sliced potatoes,onions to the puree.
also wanted to saythat I'm pretty sure there are buy-in skins out there.


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## chef m (Mar 10, 2006)

Thank you, to all for great ideas. If the restaruant does not use any of your sugestions, I will have to bring the inners home for the family. I have lazy owners that try to get away cheap, but they are lazy with there ideas.


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## chef m (Mar 10, 2006)

How many days will the pot last in the soup. Just to say if i frozed them and then added them to the soup. Should three day to four be ok?


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