Although this most useful vegetable is dressed every day, in almost every family, it is very seldom well prepared; and for one plate of potatoes that comes to table as it should, ten are spoiled.

Be careful in your choice of potatoes; no vegetable varies so much in quality. The reddish kind are better than the white, but the yellowish Looking ones are generally the best. Choose them of a moderate size, free from all blemishes, and fresh, and buy them in the mould; they should, not be wetted till they are cleaned to boil. Peel and wash them, fill the saucepan half full of potatoes of equal size*, and put to them as much cold water as will cover them about an inch: most boiled things are spoiled by having too little water, but potatoes are commonly spoiled by too much: they must merely be covered, and a little allowed for waste in boiling, so that they may be covered at last.

Set them on a moderate fire till they boil, then take them off, and set them by the side of the fire to boil gently (the slower the better) till they are soft enough to admit a fork, (there is no dependence on the usual test of their cracking or breaking, which, if they are boiled fast, some potatoes will do when they are not half done, and the inside is quite hard,) then pour the water from them, uncover the saucepan, and set it by the side of the fire for fifteen or twenty minutes, that their superfluous moisture may evaporate, and they will become perfectly dry and mealy.

* Or the small ones will be done to pieces before the large ones are boiled enough.

This method of managing potatoes is in every respect superior to steaming them; they are dressed in half the time, and will retain no moisture.

Observations

There are so many different sorts and sizes of potatoes, it is impossible to say how long they will take doing; the best way is to try them with a fork. Moderate sized potatoes will generally be enough in fifteen or twenty minutes.

Potatoes Boiled And Broiled

Dress your potatoes exactly as before directed, put them on a gridiron over a very clear, brisk fire; turn them as they brown, till they are done all over, and send them up dry, with melted butter in a cup.

Potatoes Fried In Slices

Peel large potatoes, and slice them the thickness of a two-penny piece; dry them well in a clean cloth, flour them, and fry them in lard. Take care that your lard and fryingpan are quite clean; put it on a quick fire, watch it, and as soon as it boils, and the lard is still, put in the slices of potatoe, and keep moving them till they are crisp; take them up and lay them to drain on a sieve, send them up with a very little salt sprinkled over them.

Potatoes Fried Whole

When boiled as per the first receipt, put them into a stewpan with some nice clean beef drippings, shake them about often for fear of burning till they are of a fine brown, and crisp: drain them well from the fat, and send them up.

Observations

It will be an elegant improvement to the three last receipts, previous to frying or broiling the potatoes, to dip them in the yolk of an egg, and then in fine sifted bread crumbs.