Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Sweet Potatoes, Boiled. — Thoroughly wash and scrub them, put them in boiling water and cook until they can be easily pierced with a fork. The time will depend on the size of the potatoes, from one -half to one hour. When done pour off the water, cover Sweet Potatoes VEGETABLES Tomatoes, Curried the pot with a cloth, and let the potatoes steam for ten minutes. Sweet Potatoes, Buttered. — Take good-sized sweet potatoes, scrape and boil them, slice them lengthwise; butter each piece, lay in a pan, and set them in the oven until the butter is well melted into the potatoes. Sweet -potato Cakes. — These are made by using grated boiled sweet potatoes, two cupfuls rubbed through a colander, three eggs beaten light, two table - spoonfuls of cream and one of melted butter, and two of flour. Beat the eggs into the squash, then the cream, then the butter, and at last the flour. Cook on a griddle. Drop in boiling fat and fry to a golden brown. Serve at once with the following sauce : Cream together three table - spoonfuls of butter and two cupfuls of sugar. Heat (in a double boiler) two wineglassfuls of claret, into which has been stirred a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg. Stir the hot wine into the creamed butter and sugar, turn all into a saucepan set in another of hot water ; as the sauce becomes hot, beat steadily until it is foamy. Send at once to the table. This sauce is poured over each fritter as it is served. Sweet-potato Croquettes. — Boil as many sweet potatoes as will make two cupfuls when mashed. Mash while hot, and beat into the smoking mass a table-spoonful of butter, the beaten yolks of two eggs, and a table-spoonful of cream or rich milk. Set the mixture aside until cool, when it may be easily moulded into croquettes. Roll the croquettes in egg and fine cracker - crumbs, and set in a cold place for several hours before frying to a golden brown in deep fat. Sweet Potatoes in Surprise. — Select some nicely shaped sweet potatoes, which must be long. Wash and dry and cut them in two, lengthwise. Scoop out both parts, wide and deep enough to hold a bird, butter the inside thoroughly, and prepare the birds in the same way as for the nest. Put one in each potato, put the cover over, secure it with a small string so as to close tightly. Lay them in a buttered baking-pan, and bake thirty minutes in a moderate oven. Take out, cut the strings of the potatoes and of the birds, remove the blanket of pork, and serve the potatoes with cover over on a napkin. Blackbirds or any small birds cooked and served in this manner are most delicious and savory. Tomatoes, Baked. — Cut nice ripe smooth fruit in two ; lay them in a dripping-pan, in which a small piece of butter has been melted, placing the skin side down. Set over a brisk fire. When the under side is brown, take them off the fire. Have an earthen baking-dish, in which place them, skin side down, one at a time, being careful not to break them. In each one put a small piece of butter, a little salt and pepper, and dredge a small portion of flour over all. Place in a slow oven and bake three hours. When done, carefully place one at a time on the dish on which you wish to serve them, and send hot to table. This is a most excellent dish.