Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Wash, pare, and half boil some large potatoes. Drain them, and when nearly cold cut them into slices a quarter of an inch thick. Cut two or three rashers of fat bacon into small pieces, place them in a stewpan with a finely minced onion, and let them steam until the onion is tender. Add a little pepper and salt, a lump of sugar, a bay-leaf, and as much stock or water as will barely cover the sliced potatoes. This sauce should be thickened with tiour to make it of the consistency of thick cream, and as much vinegar may be added as will make it agreeably acid. Let the sauce boil a few minutes, put in the sliced potatoes, and let them simmer till they are tender without being broken. Serve very hot, with the sauce poured over them. Time, an hour or more. Probable cost, potatoes. Id. or 2d. per pound. Sufficient, six large potatoes for two or three persons. Potatoes with White Sauce.— Take some dressed potatoes, cut them in pieces, pour white sauce {see White Sauce) over them, and serve. Potatoes with White Sauce (another way). — Thicken some butter with flour in a stewpan, add some milk or cream, with chives and parsley cut small, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and boil these ingredients to the consistence of sauce. When ready, put in some cooked potatoes cut in slices, and some eggs beaten up. Pot-au-feu. — This is a common dish in France, and is to be met with in almost every household. The foundation is beef, and if other meats are used they are reserved to make their appearance imder different disguises. The parts most generally used are the leg, shoulders, and ribs. The upper parts of the leg are, however, the best for the purpose. The bouillon or broth is flavoured with vegetables that are boiled in it, and these are served with the bouilli or boiled beef. In making pot-au-feu it must be remembered that the stewpan must be scrupulously clean. It is usually made of tinned metal or earthenware. The meat should be quite fresh, should be simmered very gently but continuously, and skimmed with great care. The fire should be steady but slow, and should be mended very gently when necessary, that the ebullition may not be increased. The stewpan should not be very closely covered, or the bouillon will not be clear — and the true French bouillon is clear, limpid, of a golden-amber colour, and exhales pleasantly the combined aromas of the various meats and vegetables. The latter should be added after the meat has simmered haK the time, and they should not be allowed to remain in the pan after they are done enough, or they will absorb some of its flavour. A little caramel or burnt sugar may be used to colour the liouillon, and this should be added the last thing. Some prefer the bouillon the first day, and some the second. To preserve it, it should be strained, put into a clean earthenware pan without cover, kept in a cool place, and boiled up every day in summer and every three days in winter. It should be remembered that if either turnips or garlic are used the I