The Queen Cook Book: A Careful Compilation of Recipes and Practical ...

Prepare the potatoes the same as for boiled potatoes, as soon as a fork will go through them easily, drain off the water, dry them by setting kettle on top of stove, put in salt and butter, according to quantity, mash with a wire masher, then stir in a little cream or milk as you like with a fork. Dish and smooth over the top. Some brown the top in oven. There is no vegetable so much used as the potato, yet how few know how to cook them properly. Most people think they certainly know how to boil a potato. Some will throw them in cold water just when it happens to be convenient, whether it lacks one hour or two before meal time, when they should be put in just as the water begins to boil and taken off as soon as a fork can easily pierce them. A com- The Queen Cook Book ill men sized potato will boil in thirty minutes. We should not allow our daughters to lose sight of the fact, that to be able to boil an Irish potato well, is an accomplishment of more importance to the human race, than to know the science of banging the hair, and will go farther to beautify the human face. Curled Potatoes. Take freshly mashed potatoes and press through a colander into your table dish. Brown the top in oven. Season just right first. Scalloped Potatoes. Wash and rinse your potatoes, peel them, boil nearly done, and slice thin; butter the pudding dish or a good basin, put in a layer of potatoes, then a seasoning of salt, pepper, and bits of butter, fill with potatoes, remembering to season every layer; cover the top with cracker crumbs, then heat boiling hot, one cup of cream and one cup of milk and sprinkle it over till it is half full or over. Cover with a good plate that fits, and bake in the oven one hour and a quarter for two quarts. Some like chopped parsley in, and a thin layer of rolled cracker between each layer of potatoes. Take off the plate fifteen minutes before they are done, to brown the top. Others sprinkle a little flour between each layer; or make a ■ nice drawn butter of your cream and milk, with one tablespoon of flour no thicker than cream and put it between each layer of potatoes. For one quart or less bake thirty minutes, having the oven just at boiling point. Take off the plate and brown the top when nearly done. These are very nice for supper, and if there are some left over, they can be used for 1 12 The Queen Cook Book breakfast, by adding a little cream to moisten them and heat hot in the oven. If raw potatoes bake one hour or more. French .Fried Potatoes. Select long potatoes. When peeled and rinsed put in cold water for one hour, wipe dry, cut lengthwise into six or eight pieces, place on a dry clean cloth and clap them dry; have ready a kettle of hot lard, or half suet and lard, fill a skimmer with the potatoes and drop into the hot fat. The fat must be hot or they will not be good, but care must be taken not to have your lard spatter over, as you put them in and so set fire to the spider; when ready to put the potatoes in, set the spider on the back part of the stove for a minute or two to avoid this. They generally cook in ten minutes; try with a fork, skim out. and lay on drab paper and sorinkle salt on both sides, and serve hot. Parisienne Potatoes. Peel large potatoes and throw into cold water for half an hour, dry with a cloth, and with a vegetable scoop cut out tiny balls, dry with a cloth again and cook in hot suet cooked through and of a light brown; the fat must be very hot, then they will be dry and mealy. Skim out on clean drab paper and sprinkle with salt. Potatoes a la Royal. * Allow one pint of hot boiled potatoes, half cup of cream, two tablespoons of butter, the whites of four eggs and yolk of one and salt; mash the potatoes fine, then beat light with a fork. Gradually add the butter and cream, and beaten egg to a froth, mix well, turn The Queen Cook Book 113