The Book of Household Management Part 138

1143. INGREDIENTS.--8 to 10 middling-sized potatoes, 3 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, 1/2 pint of broth, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar.

_Mode_.--Put the b.u.t.ter and flour into a stewpan; stir over the fire until the b.u.t.ter is of a nice brown colour, and add the broth and vinegar; peel and cut the potatoes into long thin slices, lay them in the gravy, and let them simmer gently until tender, which will be in from 10 to 15 minutes, and serve very hot. A laurel-leaf simmered with the potatoes is an improvement.

_Time_.--10 to 15 minutes.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

PRESERVING POTATOES.--In general, potatoes are stored or preserved in pits, cellars, pies, or camps; but, whatever mode is adopted, it is essential that the tubers be perfectly dry; otherwise, they will surely rot; and a few rotten potatoes will contaminate a whole ma.s.s. The pie, as it is called, consists of a trench, lined and covered with straw; the potatoes in it being piled in the shape of a house roof, to the height of about three feet. The camps are shallow pits, filled and ridged up in a similar manner, covered up with the excavated mould of the pit.

In Russia and Canada, the potato is preserved in boxes, in houses or cellars, heated, when necessary, to a temperature one or two degrees above the freezing-point, by stoves. To keep potatoes for a considerable time, the best way is to place them in thin layers on a platform suspended in an ice-cellar: there, the temperature being always below that of active vegetation, they will not sprout; while, not being above one or two degrees below the freezing-point, the tubers will not be frostbitten.

Another mode is to scoop out the eyes with a very small scoop, and keep the roots buried in earth; a third mode is to destroy the vital principle, by kiln-drying, steaming, or scalding; a fourth is to bury them so deep in dry soil, that no change of temperature will reach them; and thus, being without air, they will remain upwards of a year without vegetating.

POTATOES A LA MAITRE D'HOTEL.

1144. INGREDIENTS.--Potatoes, salt and water; to every 6 potatoes allow 1 tablespoonful of minced parsley, 2 oz. of b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt to taste, 4 tablespoonfuls of gravy, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice.

_Mode_.--Wash the potatoes clean, and boil them in salt and water by recipe No. 1138; when they are done, drain them, let them cool; then peel and cut the potatoes into thick slices: if these are too thin, they would break in the sauce. Put the b.u.t.ter into a stewpan with the pepper, salt, gravy, and parsley; mix these ingredients well together, put in the potatoes, shake them two or three times, that they may be well covered with the sauce, and, when quite hot through, squeeze in the lemon-juice, and serve.

_Time_.--1/2 to 3/4 hour to boil the potatoes; 10 minutes for them to heat in the sauce.

_Average cost_, 4s. per bushel.

_Sufficient_ for 3 persons. _Seasonable_ all the year.

MASHED POTATOES.

1145. INGREDIENTS.--Potatoes; to every lb. of mashed potatoes allow 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 2 tablespoonfuls of milk, salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Boil the potatoes in their skins; when done, drain them, and let them get thoroughly dry by the side of the fire; then peel them, and, as they are peeled, put them into a clean saucepan, and with a large fork beat them to a light paste; add b.u.t.ter, milk, and salt in the above proportion, and stir all the ingredients well over the fire. When thoroughly hot, dish them lightly, and draw the fork backwards over the potatoes to make the surface rough, and serve. When dressed in this manner, they may be browned at the top with a salamander, or before the fire. Some cooks press the potatoes into moulds, then turn them out, and brown them in the oven: this is a pretty mode of serving, but it makes them heavy. In whatever way they are sent to table, care must be taken to have them quite free from lumps.

_Time_.--From 1/2 to 3/4 hour to boil the potatoes.

_Average cost_, 4s. per bushel.

_Sufficient_,--1 lb. of mashed potatoes for 3 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

PUREE DE POMMES DE TERRE, or, Very Thin-mashed Potatoes.

1146. INGREDIENTS.--To every lb. of mashed potatoes allow 1/4 pint of good broth or stock, 2 oz. of b.u.t.ter.

_Mode_.--Boil the potatoes, well drain them, and pound them smoothly in a mortar, or beat them up with a fork; add the stock or broth, and rub the potatoes through a sieve. Put the puree into a very clean saucepan with the b.u.t.ter; stir it well over the fire until thoroughly hot, and it will then be ready to serve. A puree should be rather thinner than mashed potatoes, and is a delicious accompaniment to delicately broiled mutton cutlets. Cream or milk may be subst.i.tuted for the broth when the latter is not at hand. A ca.s.serole of potatoes, which is often used for ragots instead of rice, is made by mashing potatoes rather thickly, placing them on a dish, and making an opening in the centre. After having browned the potatoes in the oven, the dish should be wiped clean, and the ragout or frica.s.see poured in.

_Time_.--About 1/2 hour to boil the potatoes; 6 or 7 minutes to warm the puree.

_Average cost_, 4s. per bushel.

_Sufficient_.--Allow 1 lb. of cooked potatoes for 3 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SWEET POTATO.]

VARIETIES OF THE POTATO.--These are very numerous. "They differ," says an authority, "in their leaves and bulk of haulm; in the colour of the skin of the tubers; in the colour of the interior, compared with that of the skin; in the time of ripening; in being farinaceous, glutinous, or watery; in tasting agreeably or disagreeably; in cooking readily or tediously; in the length of the subterraneous _stolones_ to which the tubers are attached; in blossoming or not blossoming; and finally, in the soil which they prefer." The earliest varieties grown in fields are,--the Early Kidney, the Nonsuch, the Early Shaw, and the Early Champion. This last is the most generally cultivated round London: it is both mealy and hardy. The sweet potato is but rarely eaten in Britain; but in America it is often served at table, and is there very highly esteemed.

POTATO RISSOLES.

1147. INGREDIENTS.--Mashed potatoes, salt and pepper to taste; when liked, a very little minced parsley, egg, and bread crumbs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: POTATO RISSOLES.]

_Mode_.--Boil and mash the potatoes by recipe No. 1145; add a seasoning of pepper and salt, and, when liked, a little minced parsley. Roll the potatoes into small b.a.l.l.s, cover them with egg and bread crumbs, and fry in hot lard for about 10 minutes; let them drain before the fire, dish them on a napkin, and serve.

_Time_,--10 minutes to fry the rissoles.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

_Note_.--The flavour of these rissoles may be very much increased by adding finely-minced tongue or ham, or even chopped onions, when these are liked.

QUALITIES OF POTATOES.--In making a choice from the many varieties of potatoes which are everywhere found, the best way is to get a sample and taste them, and then fix upon the kind which best pleases your palate. The Shaw is one of the most esteemed of the early potatoes for field culture; and the Kidney and Bread-fruit are also good sorts. The Lancashire Pink is also a good potato, and is much cultivated in the neighbourhood of Liverpool. As late or long-keeping potatoes, the Tartan or Red-apple stands very high in favour.

POTATO SNOW.

1148. INGREDIENTS.--Potatoes, salt, and water.

_Mode_.--Choose large white potatoes, as free from spots as possible; boil them in their skins in salt and water until perfectly tender; drain and _dry them thoroughly_ by the side of the fire, and peel them. Put a hot dish before the fire, rub the potatoes through a coa.r.s.e sieve on to this dish; do not touch them afterwards, or the flakes will fall, and serve as hot as possible.

_Time_.--1/2 to 3/4 hour to boil the potatoes.

_Average cost_, 4s. per bushel.

_Sufficient_,--6 potatoes for 3 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

THE POTATO AS AN ARTICLE OF HUMAN FOOD.--This valuable esculent, next to wheat, is of the greatest importance in the eye of the political economist. From no other crop that can be cultivated does the public derive so much benefit; and it has been demonstrated that an acre of potatoes will feed double the number of people that can be fed from an acre of wheat.

TO DRESS SALSIFY.

1149. INGREDIENTS.--Salsify; to each 1/2 gallon of water allow 1 heaped tablespoonful of salt, 1 oz. of b.u.t.ter, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice.

_Mode_.--Sc.r.a.pe the roots gently, so as to strip them only of their outside peel; cut them into pieces about 4 inches long, and, as they are peeled, throw them into water with which has been mixed a little lemon-juice, to prevent their discolouring. Put them into boiling water, with salt, b.u.t.ter, and lemon-juice in the above proportion, and let them boil rapidly until tender; try them with a fork; and, when it penetrates easily, they are done. Drain the salsify, and serve with a good white sauce or French melted b.u.t.ter.

_Time_.--30 to 50 minutes. _Seasonable_ in winter.

_Note_.--This vegetable may be also boiled, sliced, and fried in batter of a nice brown. When crisp and a good colour, they should be served with fried parsley in the centre of the dish, and a little fine salt sprinkled over the salsify.