and allow tliem to drain for a minute or two in front of the fire. Dust witli fine salt, and serve at once very hot. These are the real Fommes Frites of the Parisian restaurants ; but tlie potatoes may be sliced or cut into any shape preferred, or cut as you peel an apple, these ribbons being dropped into boiling fat precisely as before. If you cut the jjotatoes ((dioosing very long ones) into long, narrow strips, one-eighth of an inch in depth and width, crisping them for twelve or fifteen minutes in a little cold acidulated water, and fry them in the same way as the fried potatoes✪ Fried Potatoes, they are the well-known Pommes Failles or Potato Straxos. Some cooks prepare these potatoes in the same way as described for the potato cases, frying them twice. The well-known American novelty, Saratoga Potatoes, are simply potatoes washed, peeled, and sliced as evenly and thinly as possible (a special cutter is generally used for this, and saves much labour, though not absolutely indispensable), and fried as above till perfectly crisp and of a pretty golden brown, then drained, dusted with salt, and served very hot. These, and indeed most well-fried potatoes, may be kept in airtight tins for some time, and only recpiire reheating for a few seconds in boiling fat. Potatoes, mashed. — Boil some potatoes, and steam them till perfectly dry, when you beat them up with a common kitchen fork, adding in as you do so a little butter, pepper, and salt, Avith a little milk or cream✪ Mashed Potatoes, Avorking (hem Avith the fork till they are smooth and Avhite ; then arrange them in a vegetable dish, marking them Avith the fork. If liked, when VEGETABLES. 113 the potatoes are prepared in this way, they may he piled up neatly in a fireproof dish, and set in the oven till nicely browned on top. Potatoes for mashing may be baked if preferred, which of course makes them lighter. The French method of mashing potatoes is more of a puree than ours ; for this, when the potatoes are boiled, drain off all the water, and return them to the pan, lightly mashing them as before, and working them to a smooth, creamy con- sistency, with an extra amount of butter and a spoonful or two of either good stock or cream, season- ing it with white pepper and a grate of nutmeg ; this can never be moulded, but is sent to table when of the consistency of very thick cream. Indeed, as a matter of fact, a little whipped cream is often added to it at the last. Potatoes, new, to boil. — These should be cooked as soon as possible after digging. Well wash them and rub them with a dry cloth, but never attempt to peel them. Put them on in boiling water, and let them cook for fifteen minutes, when you drain off the water, and let them dry like old potatoes. They are then usually put into a vegetable dish with a little melted butter, and sprinkled with a little minced parsley. A favourite way of serving new potatoes, when cooked as above, is to dish them in a pile, and pour the following sauce over them : Melt together loz. of butter and loz. of flour, with a pinch of salt, and when this is smooth and perfectly blended, moisten gradually with half a pint of cream or new milk✪ New Potatoes to Boil, and bring it to the boil ; pour this over the new potatoes, and serve dusted with finely-minced I 114 VEGETABLES.

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and allow tliem to drain for a minute or two in front of the fire. Dust witli fine salt, and serve at once very hot. These are the real Fommes Frites of the Parisian restaurants ; but tlie potatoes may be sliced or cut into any shape preferred, or cut as you peel an apple, these ribbons being dropped into boiling fat precisely as before. If you cut the jjotatoes ((dioosing very long ones) into long, narrow strips, one-eighth of an inch in depth and width, crisping them for twelve or fifteen minutes in a little cold acidulated water, and fry them in the same way as the fried potatoes, they are the well-known Pommes Failles or Potato Straxos. Some cooks prepare these potatoes in the same way as described for the potato cases, frying them twice. The well-known American novelty, Saratoga Potatoes, are simply potatoes washed, peeled, and sliced as evenly and thinly as possible (a special cutter is generally used for this, and saves much labour, though not absolutely indispensable), and fried as above till perfectly crisp and of a pretty golden brown, then drained, dusted with salt, and served very hot. These, and indeed most well-fried potatoes, may be kept in airtight tins for some time, and only recpiire reheating for a few seconds in boiling fat. Potatoes, mashed. — Boil some potatoes, and steam them till perfectly dry, when you beat them up with a common kitchen fork, adding in as you do so a little butter, pepper, and salt, Avith a little milk or cream, Avorking (hem Avith the fork till they are smooth and Avhite ; then arrange them in a vegetable dish, marking them Avith the fork. If liked, when VEGETABLES. 113 the potatoes are prepared in this way, they may he piled up neatly in a fireproof dish, and set in the oven till nicely browned on top. Potatoes for mashing may be baked if preferred, which of course makes them lighter. The French method of mashing potatoes is more of a puree than ours ; for this, when the potatoes are boiled, drain off all the water, and return them to the pan, lightly mashing them as before, and working them to a smooth, creamy con- sistency, with an extra amount of butter and a spoonful or two of either good stock or cream, season- ing it with white pepper and a grate of nutmeg ; this can never be moulded, but is sent to table when of the consistency of very thick cream. Indeed, as a matter of fact, a little whipped cream is often added to it at the last. Potatoes, new, to boil. — These should be cooked as soon as possible after digging. Well wash them and rub them with a dry cloth, but never attempt to peel them. Put them on in boiling water, and let them cook for fifteen minutes, when you drain off the water, and let them dry like old potatoes. They are then usually put into a vegetable dish with a little melted butter, and sprinkled with a little minced parsley. A favourite way of serving new potatoes, when cooked as above, is to dish them in a pile, and pour the following sauce over them : Melt together loz. of butter and loz. of flour, with a pinch of salt, and when this is smooth and perfectly blended, moisten gradually with half a pint of cream or new milk, and bring it to the boil ; pour this over the new potatoes, and serve dusted with finely-minced I 114 VEGETABLES.

The "Queen" cookery books: Vegetables