Chambers's cookery for young housewives

Potatoes Boiled in their Skins. — Wash and brush the potatoes well, taking care not to break the skins. When they are quite clean, pack them tightly into a saucepan, and cover them with cold water ; add about half a teaspoonful of salt, put the lid on the pan, and place it on the fire ; bring it slowly to the boil, and allow the potatoes to cook gently till they are soft. Ascertain that they are ready by running a skewer into them, and then pour off the water; return the saucepan to the side of the fire; put the lid on again, but not quite closely, and allow all the remaining moisture to pass off in steam ; when the potatoes are quite dry, serve hot in a hot vegetable dish. Place a small plate by the side of each person for the skins. Potatoes Peeled and Boiled. — -Wash the potatoes well, and with a very sharp-pointed knife peel them as thinly as possible ; take out the eyes, and as each potato is prepared MASHED POTATOES — FRIED POTATOES. throw it into cold water to preserve the colour. Then pack the potatoes tightly into a saucepan, cover them with cold water ; add a little salt, put the lid on the saucepan, and place it on the fire ; bring it to the boil, and allow to boil very gently till the potatoes are nearly cooked. Then pour away the water, and cover the potatoes with a clean cloth ; put the lid on the saucepan again, and return it to the side of the lire for about fifteen minutes, to finish cooking the potatoes, and that the moisture may be absorbed by the cloth. Serve hot in a hot vegetable dish. Potatoes that are to be boiled together should be as nearly as possible of the same size. Peel the potatoes, and pass them through a sieve, or mash them till they arc free from lumps ; add a pinch of pepper and salt, and mix them with a little milk till they are quite smooth ; heat the mixture if necessary, and then pile it on a hot vegetable dish. The potatoes can either be served as they are, or they may be smoothed with a knife, and browned in the oven or before the fire. TO FRY SLICED POTATOES, POTATO RIBBONS, OR CHIPS. 3 potatoes. I Fat for frying. Pepper. I Salt. First wash and peel the potatoes. Then for sliced potatoes, cut them in slices a third of an inch thick, and throw them into cold water. For ribbons, cut slices half an inch thick and peel round and round the slice, so forming a ribbon. For chips cut thin slices into chips or straws lengthways. As the potatoes are prepared throw them into cold water, until the pot of fat is ready. Then drain and dry them by shaking them in a cloth. Put them into the fat a few at a time, and stir gently until they are a pale brown colour. Lift with a perforated spoon on to some porous paper, sprinkle with pepper and salt, and dry in the oven or before the fire. Serve very hot. The fat must be hot, otherwise MASHED POTATOES. Boiled potatoes. Milk. Pepper. Salt. SAUTED POTATOES — A LA MAITRE u’lIOTEL — BALLS. the potatoes will he greasy ; if too hot, they will become black. SAUTED POTATOES. 2 potatoes. I 1 table-spoonful chopped 2 oz. butter. I parsley. Pepper and salt.