The International Jewish Cook Book Part 33

Take cold mashed potatoes or cold baked or boiled potatoes that have been mashed and seasoned; roll into b.a.l.l.s, dusting the hands well with flour first. Flatten into cakes and saute in b.u.t.ter, or place on a b.u.t.tered tin with a small piece of b.u.t.ter on the top of each and bake in a hot oven until golden brown.

POTATOES AND CORN

b.u.t.ter well a deep baking dish, holding a quart or more. In the bottom place a layer of potatoes, sliced thin, then a layer of corn, using one-half the contents of a can. On this sprinkle a little grated onion and season with salt, pepper and bits of b.u.t.ter. Add another layer of potatoes, then the rest of the corn, seasoning as before, and cover the whole with a layer of cracker crumbs. Dot well with b.u.t.ter, pour on milk until it comes to the top, and bake three-quarters of an hour. Use cooked potatoes, having them cold before slicing.

FRENCH FRIED POTATOES

Pare the potatoes and throw them into cold water until needed. Dry them with a towel; cut into small pieces lengthwise of the potato; drop them into hot fat and remove when lightly browned. It is better to fry only a few at a time, letting those done stand in a colander in the oven to keep hot. When all are done, sprinkle with salt and serve at once.

For variety; and for use in garnishing, cut the potatoes into b.a.l.l.s, using the vegetable cutter which comes for this purpose.

POTATOES WITH CARAWAY SEEDS

Boil medium-sized potatoes in their jackets until tender, peel while hot. Put two tablespoons of b.u.t.ter or fat in spider, when hot add potatoes, brown well all over. Drain, sprinkle with salt and one teaspoon of caraway seeds and serve hot.

POTATOES AND PEARS

Heat two tablespoons of fat, add chopped onion and two tablespoons of flour; when flour is brown, add 1-1/2 cups of water, stir and cook until smooth, add salt, brown sugar and a little cinnamon to taste. Quarter four medium-sized cooking pears, but do not peel, cook them in the brown sauce, then add six medium, raw potatoes, pared, and cook until tender.

IMITATION NEW POTATOES

Buy a potato cutter at a first-cla.s.s hardware store, and with it cut the potatoes to the size of a hickory nut, and then fry or steam them. When cooked they look just like new potatoes. They are especially nice to garnish meats. You may also parboil and brown in fat, or boil and add parsley as you would with new potatoes. The remainder of the raw potatoes may be boiled and mashed or fried into ribbons.

POTATO RIBBON

Pare and lay in cold water (ice-water is best) for half an hour. Select the largest potatoes, then cut round and round in one continuous curl-like strip (there is also an instrument for this purpose, which costs but a trifle); handle with care and fry a few at a time for fear of entanglement, in deep fat.

STEWED POTATOES WITH ONIONS

Take small potatoes, pare and wash them very clean, use one onion to about ten potatoes, add goose-oil (in fact any kind of drippings from roast meat will answer) and put them in a pot or spider. When hot cut up an onion very fine and add to the boiling fat. Then add the potatoes.

Salt and pepper to taste. Pour some water over all, cover up tight and let them simmer for about 3/4 of an hour.

STEWED POTATOES, SOUR

Put a tablespoon of drippings in a kettle, and when it is hot cut up an onion fine and fry in the hot fat, cover closely. Put in potatoes, which have been previously pared, washed, quartered and well salted. Cover them tight and stew slowly until soft, stirring them occasionally. Then heat in a spider a little drippings. Brown in this a spoon of flour and add some soup-stock, vinegar and chopped parsley. Pour this over the potatoes, boil up once and serve.

STEWED POTATOES

Pare and quarter, and put on to boil. When almost done drain off the water, add one cup of milk, one tablespoon of b.u.t.ter, a little chopped parsley and cook a while longer. Thicken with a little flour (wet with cold water or milk), stir, and take from the fire.

STUFFED POTATOES

Take as many potatoes as are needed; when done, cut off one end and take out inside; mash this and mix with it one tablespoon of b.u.t.ter, a sprig of parsley, pepper, salt, and enough milk to make quite soft. Put back in tine potato skins and brown in oven and serve very hot.

If so desired the open end of each may be dipped in beaten egg before being put in oven.

BOHEMIAN POTATO PUFF

Pare, wash and boil potatoes until soft enough to mash well. Drain off nearly all the water, leaving just a little; add one teaspoon of salt and return to the stove. It is better to boil the potatoes in salt water and add more salt if necessary after mashing. Sift one-half cup of flour into the potatoes after returning to the fire and keep covered closely for about five minutes. Then remove from the stove and mash them as hard as you can, so as not to have any lumps. They must be of the consistency of dough and smooth as velvet. Now put about two tablespoons of drippings or goose-fat in a spider, chop up some onions very fine and heat them until they become a light-brown, take a tablespoon and dip it in the hot fat and then cut a spoonful of the potato dough with the same spoon and put it in the spider, and so on until you have used all. Be careful to dip your spoon in the hot fat every time you cut a puff. Let them brown slightly.

POTATOES (HUNGARIAN STYLE)

Wash, pare and cut potatoes in one-third inch pieces, there should be three cups; parboil three minutes, and drain. Add one-third cup of b.u.t.ter, and cook on back of range until potatoes are soft and slightly browned. Melt two tablespoons of b.u.t.ter, add a few drops of onion juice, two tablespoons of flour, and pour on gradually one cup of hot milk, season with salt and paprika, then add one well-beaten egg yolk. Pour sauce over potatoes and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

POTATO PUFF

Take two cups of cold mashed potatoes and stir into them one tablespoon of melted b.u.t.ter, beating to a white cream before adding anything else.

Then put with this two eggs beaten extremely light, one cup of cream, and salt to taste. Beat all well and pour into a deep dish, and bake in a quick oven until it is nice and brown. If properly mixed, it will come out of the oven light, puffy, and delectable.

POTATO SURPRISE

Take large potatoes, parboil without peeling, cut a small piece of one end of the potato and scoop out the inside. Mince two ounces cooked mutton, season with pepper and salt, mix with the potato pulp and a little gravy. Return end of potato to its place and bake for about twenty minutes with a little fat on top of each potato.

BOILED SWEET POTATOES

Put on in boiling water, without any salt, and boil until a fork will easily pierce the largest. Drain off the water and dry.

FRIED SWEET POTATOES

Boil, peel and cut lengthwise into slices a quarter of an inch thick.

Fry in sweet drippings or b.u.t.ter (cold boiled potatoes may also be fried in this way).

FRENCH FRIED SWEET POTATOES

Wash and cut small uncooked sweet potatoes into quarters; dry them and lower them into boiling hot fat. Brown thoroughly; remove with a skimmer; drain and dry on paper; sprinkle with salt and serve.

ROAST SWEET POTATOES

These are commonly called "baked" sweet potatoes. Select those of uniform size; wash, and roast in the oven until done, which you can easily tell by pressing the potatoes. If done they will leave an impression when touched. It usually requires three-quarters of an hour.

Serve in their "jackets."