So, you have peeled a gargantuan amount of potatoes to make your creamy Paris mash/chips/champs you name it…now what to do with the skins? The frugal Italian in me cannot bear the idea of wastage and I’m always eager to conjure up a way to give new life to left-overs and food scraps. A little research shows me that most of the nutritional virtues of potatoes (and there are very many, starch bashers out there….) are trapped in the skin. I am talking about super power boosters such as potassium and calcium, optimal for bone mineral density and protection against strokes. Match that with the everlasting benefits of every Italian’s best friend, extra-virgin olive oil, and you have got yourself a perfect, healthier alternative to potato chips that celebrates resourcefulness and flavor in one nimble move!
INGREDIENTS, serves 6
The skin of 1 Kg (4-1/2 Lb) of potatoes
4-5 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, herbs and freshly ground pepper to taste
HOW TO
1. Place the skin in a large bowl, cover them with warm water and set aside for 20 minutes. In the meantime, heat up your oven to 200 C or 400 F.
2. Drain the skins and pat dry with a tea towel. Toss them with enough oil to cover them evenly (use your hands if helpful), season with salt and herbs and arrange them onto an oven tray lined with baking paper in one layer (bake them in batches, if need be)
3. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Cool at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to crisp them up further and serve topped with freshly ground black pepper and a few rosemary springs, if liked.
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What a wonderful Idea!! What we used to do when we made gnocchi is we baked the potatoes, scraped out the meat for the gnocchi, then baked the potato “boats” with fillings and such. Sometimes we just ate them with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on it or even Pecorino. My mamma never wasted anything!! I will certainly try your idea. Grazie per la idea. Buona giornata!
Oh, I love the idea of potato skins boats!
They’ve worked beautifully, I’m rather impressed. Great use for the skins. Frugal too!
Frugal indeed. And such a crowd pleaser!
What a fantastic idea! I like to think of myself as a frugal cook, too, but this had never even occurred to me… Look fantastic.
Reblogged this on CreativelyShared and commented:
I love bread… but this starchy treat is to die for… seems like my compost is going to be devoid of potato skins from now on
Hi Silvia the roasted potato skins sound great. I guess they have to be used straight away?
Yes, they don’t keep for long. However they are so delicious, it won’t be a problem to make them disappear!
Searching the web for exact recipes like this that do not waste food as we throw out so much. So glad I stumbled across your site 😊
How lovely to be found by you!