Food Waste to Good Taste: 3 ways to use your potato peels

‘Food Waste to Good Taste’ is an exciting campaign that we are running in partnership with @HKU_Science and @Green.Hospitality. The study will measure the nutritional value of food scraps from restaurants across Hong Kong to highlight the local food waste issue in two folds: from an environmental perspective and from a health perspective. The campaign hopes to encourage restaurants and consumers to be more conscious of the loss of nutritious food waste and optimise food scraps into new recipes to further reduce food waste.

Are your eyes peeled? Because today’s Tuesday tips are on potatoes! And potato peels to be exact. As many recipes call for peeled potatoes (i.e. think mash, fries or gratin - the list can go on), potato peels are actually one of the most discarded food scraps in many kitchens. Yet they are so full of fibre and flavour, it is a shame to put them to waste! So we thought we would share with you 3 recipes that utilise the peels in creative ways to give them a second life.

Baked Potato Skin Chips

If you are looking for THE easiest way to use up your potato peels, then look no further. This recipe calls for only 3 ingredients and offers you the flexibility to whatever seasoning you want to add. So feel free to adjust the recipe with either herbs, spices or even a different kind of oil to make it your own.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of potato peels (adjust amount depending on how much you want to yield)

• ½ tablespoon of olive oil 

• ½ teaspoon of salt

Recipe:

• Start off by ensuring you give the potatoes a good wash and scrub to remove any dirt.

• Peel the potatoes using a potato peeler (rather than a knife) to minimise removing too much potato flesh.

• Soak the peels for 30 minutes in room temperature water to remove excess starch for maximum crispness.

• Rinse the peels and then pat them dry with a kitchen/paper towel. Make sure to dry the peels as much as possible to guarantee extra crispiness. If you wish, you can also remove some of the excess water by baking the peels for 5 minutes at 200ºC/400ºF or using a dehydrator.

• In a single layer, spread the potato skins onto your baking sheet and drizzle with oil. You want to make sure that you coat the peels just enough without weighing them down. For any seasoning you wish to add, you can do so before or after baking.

• Finally, bake the potato skin chips for 15-18 minutes at 200ºC/400ºF (fan-assisted option). If you want even crispier results, then broil them for extra 3-4 minutes at the end. Make sure to keep an eye as they can burn easily.

Storing to make ahead: If you don’t have enough potato peels to make this recipe in one go, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge soaked in water for 2-3 days. Make sure to replace the water daily. 

Potato Skin Garnish

A perfect zero-waste potato recipe that adds a supplementary element to your mash potato. A journey of textures as you enjoy your dish, combining the soft, silkiness of the mash and the crunch of fried potato skin. Who knew the potato to be so versatile once you start peeling off its layers?

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups of potato peels

• ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter

• Salt to taste

Recipe:

• Heat ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. 

• Then add ½ cup of unsalted butter and swirl the pan until the butter is melted. 

• Working in multiple batches of 3 or 4, cook the potato skins by stirring them occasionally until they are deeply browned and crisp. This cooking process should take 5 to 7 minutes.

• Transfer the crispy potato garnish onto paper towels to drain.

• Season with salt to taste. 

Potato Powder

Not only is this a genius hack in terms of giving potato peels a new life, but you’re also saving money from having to buy any form of thickener such as corn starch.

Ingredients:

Potato peels - however much you have

Recipe:

• Clean and dry out your potato peelings.

• Place them in a dehydrator or an oven at a low temperature of 135°F/57°C for approximately 4 hours.

• Then grind into potato powder.

• Use it to add to your soups and stews!