How to Cook Potato Skins at a Concession Stand
Potato skins are a popular appetizer found mostly in diners and pubs. While potatoes themselves are bland, toppings make the dish more interesting. The traditional way to serve potato skins is with sour cream, cheese, bacon bits and scallions. Since the ingredients are affordable and the dish is simple to prepare, you can also serve them at concession stands. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Attendance numbers
- Russet potatoes
- Sour cream
- Bacon bits
- Chives or scallions
- Large quantities of frying oil
- Toppings of your choice (such as chili con carne)
- One to two deep fryers
- Utensils
- One to two electric slow-cookers
- Extension cords
- Paper plates
- Napkins
- Condiments
- Plastic gloves
- Salt and pepper packs
- Van or truck
- Can opener
Instructions
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Advance preparation
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1
Estimate the size of your customer base and determine how big your serving sizes will be before buying your ingredients. One potato can yield four skins, but you can sell your dish in serving sizes of two or four skins. Also decide the portion sizes of your toppings, such as one dollop of sour cream or one tablespoon of bacon bits, to determine how much of each topping you will need.
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2
Buy your ingredients. Any grocery store, food warehouse or superstore are ideal places to shop. You will also need the right equipment to store your food and heat it before serving. Use one to two deep fryers to fry your skins and one to two electric slow cookers, such as Crock-Pots, to heat your cheese sauce or chili con carne. Buy all of your equipment, utensils and condiments in advance.
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3
Prepare your potatoes. Heat your home oven to 400 degrees and prick each potato with a fork. Bake for 90 minutes or until soft, then cool. Cut your potatoes into four slices, lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh of the potato but leave a thin layer against the skin. Set the flesh in a separate dish and place all of your skins in a transportable dish. Prepare or chop any other toppings and store in Tupperware containers.
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4
Pack your ingredients in tightly sealed containers and place them in a cooler. Pack your equipment and coolers into a van and transport them to the concession booth.
Set up and serve
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5
When you arrive at the concession booth, fill your electric deep fryers with oil and heat one of them to 375 degrees. If you attract a large volume of customers, you can use your other deep fryer as a spare in case you need to change the oil in the original one. Save the bottles for the used oil. If you're using a cheese sauce or chili con carne, pour those items into your slow cookers and heat until they start to bubble. Stir frequently.
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6
Arrange your condiments into an assembly line as best you can. Put your sour cream and shredded cheese in dishes that you will keep over ice. Place the appropriately sized serving spoons in each of the dishes. Set up your condiments and napkins in the exterior of the concession booth.
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7
When a customer places an order, place your potato skins in your deep fryer and cook until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove the skins and place them into a paper dish. Add your toppings and serve with a fork, napkin, and salt and pepper packs.
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8
In between rushes, refill and restock your topping dishes. Get ready to use your spare fryer by heating the oil, then allow the oil to cool in the original one so you can change the oil and clean the fryer. Stir your chili and nacho cheese and add more if needed. Clean your kitchen and serving areas.
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Tips & Warnings
Get creative with your potato skins by topping them with guacamole or meatballs and naming your dish something like "Mexican Potato Skins" or "Meat and Potatoes." You can also use the flesh from your potatoes to create an entirely separate dish, such as potato salad. You can also deep fry the potato flesh then serve them with nacho cheese.
Be careful and strict with your portion sizes so you don't lose money. The serving spoons you place in your topping dishes should reflect the amount you wish to add to each dish. For example, place measuring spoons in your sour cream, bacon bits and scallions dishes and adhere to the established amounts of one or two dollops or one scoop each of bacon bits and scallions.
