Boiled Potatoes

Ingredients

• a large quantity of boiling water
• an hour or two in a plentiful supply of cold water
• a very slight sprinkling of salt

Method

1. 1

   Pare the potatoes, remove dark eyes and spots, soak in cold water for 1-2 hours, then boil in a large quantity of boiling water until tender.

2. 2

   Drain, cover, and set to dry on the stove, shaking gently every minute or two until they are powdery white.

3. 3

   Serve hot.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Cooking and castle-building (1880) by Emma P. Ewing, Marietta McPherson Greenough, page 41. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

an hour or two in a plentiful sup- ply of cold water, and then put them to boil, in a BREAKFAST-TABLE GOSSIP. 101 large quantity of boiling water. They should boil moderate^, and as soon as tender at the heart, be drained, partly covered and set to dry on the back of the stove. Every minute or two give them a gentle shake, so that they roll over and change positions, until they are perfect snowballs of pow- dery whiteness. If served in this state, you will find them the perfection of boiled potatoes. I think very few would pass them by untasted. If mashed, the potato should be made fine and free from all lumps, before cream, milk, or butter is added. After the seasoning is in, beat well with a wooden spoon, or potato-beater, until light. Serve hot. " This is a general rule for boiling potatoes ; but like all rules it has exceptions. Diiferent varieties of the vegetable require diiierent methods of cook- ino-. Some may be better placed to boil in cold water and allowed to heat gradually, as the water heats ; others in a small quantity of water ; while others — the peach-blow, for instance — should never be boiled at all, but should be either baked or steamed. When baked in a hot oven, the peach- blow is dry, mealy, and white, and always satis- ftictory. It is also the same steamed. But boiled, it is worse than a disappointment. It is a hard- hearted thing widi all its tenderness on the surfiice ; and boil it as you will, the result is unsatisfactory 102 COOKING AND CASTLE-BUILDING. — usually hardness at the core, while the- outside is cooked into a mush or gruel. To drain and dry properly under these circumstances is difficult. But no woman should rest content with an imper- fect dish of potatoes. If one method of cooking fails she should try another. "An agreeable companion to fried chicken is fried potato, done in this way : Slice very thin, soak for an hour or two in cold water, changing the water once or twice. Drain the slices in a strainer, and dry them on towels, by rolling and tumbling them from one towel to another. Have the slices separate, not packed together, when put into the boiling lard.- Fry the same as chicken. When of a light brown, lift, by means of a wire skimmer — an indispensable thing in every well-ordered kitchen — and drain in a wire or tin sieve. Serve hot. The last water in which the slices lie may be slightly salted, or a very slight sprinkling of salt

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.