This section is from the book "The Culinary Handbook", by Charles Fellows. Also available from Amazon: The Culinary Handbook.
Potatoes are much improved if peeled and laid in cold water overnight. It saves time in the morning, and they are nicer and whiter in consequence.
In Steaming Potatoes, put a cloth over them before placing on the steamer lid, they will then take less time to cook and be much more mealy than when steamed without the cloth.
After paring, put them in cold water for an hour, boil them with a small piece of saltpetre and the sweet taste will be removed.
Potatoes Baked In Their Skins, will always come out more dry and mealy, if a smail piece be cut off ONE end, to allow steam to escape in cooking.
Potatoes When Boiling are sometimes allowed too much water, so that it boils over on to the range, producing a very disagreeable smell. A little baking soda thrown on to any burning overflow of this nature will immediately drive away all odors.
Raw peeled potatoes cut in strips about the size of the little finger, fried in hot fat till done, taken up and drained, sprinkled with salt, then served.
Balls about the size of small cherries scooped out of raw potatoes; cooked and served the same as French fried.
Cold boiled potatoes, either minced or sliced thinly, seasoned with salt and pepper, mixed with a little chopped parsley and minced fried onions; fried with butter in the form of an omelet.
Also called HOME FRIED, COTTAGE FRIED, GERMAN FRIED: are thinly sliced cold boiled potatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper, browned on both sides in a fry pan containing butter. For RESTAURANT service they should be served in the form of an omelet, nicely browned.
Raw potatoes cut in very small dice, boiled till perfectly done, drained, put in a stew pan with a piece of good butter, seasoned with salt, covered with cream, simmered for two or three minutes, then served.
Same as the preceding, but having the potatoes minced after whole boiling, instead of cut in dice.
Same as stewed In cream above; when rerdy to serve, put into scallop or vegetable dishes, sprinkle with grated cheese and breadcrumbs, brown off quickly in the oven or under a salamander.
Same as the minced Lyonnaise, but omitting the parsley and onion.
Raw peeled potatoes cut in shreds like matches, fried a delicate brown in very hot lard, taken up and drained, sprinkled with salt and fine parsley dust.
Bacon cut in small dice, fried well done, drained, mixed in with potatoes stewed in cream.
Shapes of the parallelogram, or long square (about two inches long and an inch square) cut with a ribbed scallop knife, steamed two-thirds done, then plunged into hot fat and finished like French fried.
 
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