How To Boil Potatoes

They should always be boiled in their skins, and are best served in them; but for those who dislike this, the skins can easily be removed before serving them. Choose them as much as possible of a size, that they may all be equally done; put them into a pot with barely sufficient water to cover them, and plenty of salt. As soon as the skins begin to crack, lift the pot from the fire, and drain off every drop of water; then either lay a cloth over the pot or put the lid on, not quite close, so that the steam may escape, and return them to the fire or set the pot close to it, till they are thoroughly done and quite dry. Some people, when the potatoes are boiling, drain off half the boiling water and replace it with cold, which is supposed to make more mealy at the heart.

Broiled Potatoes

When your potatoes are boiled, skin them, and lay them on a gridiron over a clear brisk fire, and turn them till they are brown all over.

Roasted Potatoes

Should be first parboiled, then skimmed and dredged with flour, and put in the dripping-pan, under the joint that is roasting, about an hour before it is ready to serve. They should be browned all over, and carefully drained from the dripping.

Baked Potatoes

Are best done in a Dutch oven; choose large ones; wash them very carefully, and put them in the oven in their skins. They require a long time doing; if large, about two hours. They should be eaten with cold butter, pepper, and salt.

Potato Fritters (Scotch)

Parboil half a dozen, or more if required, large kidney potatoes, cut them in slices about the thickness of a crown piece, beat up a couple of eggs with a table-spoonful of finely-grated bread-crumbs, and an equal quantity of lean ham grated. Dip each slice of potato in this mixture, and fry in plenty of good olive-oil.

Mashed Potatoes (Indian)

Mash well boiled potatoes, taking out all defects; boil one or two onions tender, chop them small together with a few chilis or capsicums. Mix the whole well together; make it into a neat shape with a spoon, or put it into a mould, and bake for a short time in a moderate oven.

Fried Mashed Potatoes

Roast twelve fine potatoes in the oven. When done, take out the insides and form them into a ball. When cold, put them into a mortar with a piece of butter half the size of the ball; pound them well together; season with a little salt and pepper, and a little minced shallot and parsley. Mix them with eight yolks and two whites of eggs. Form them into balls about the shape and size of a small egg. Bread-crumb them twice over; and fry them of a light brown colour in a stew-pan of hot lard. This is good to garnish roast meat, etc.

Potato Snow

Choose the whitest potatoes you can, and free from spots Put them on to boil in cold water with plenty of salt. When they begin to crack, drain the water from them, and put them into a clean stew-pan by the fire till they are quite dry and fall to pieces. Then rub them through a wire sieve on the dish they are to be served on, and do not touch them again.

You may either boil potatoes on purpose, or take the remains of cold ones. Cut them in slices about the size and thickness of half a crown. Put three ounces of butter into a frying-pan; slice three onions into it; fry them of a light colour; then put in the potatoes, and turn them about till they are a nice yellow. Add a spoonful of chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and the juice of a lemon; toss them well over the fire, that all may be thoroughly mixed, and serve very hot. They are very good to eat with cutlets.