Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
What these numbers assume — 3 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- one point always to bear in mind in the matter of plain boiling potatoes is to s
- salt
- parsley
Directions
cooked, I will give my views on tlie subject of cooking most vegetables.
A superstition prevails that everybody knows how to boil a potato. Like the arts of gig-driving and leading article writing this faculty is assumed to be intuitive. Still many plain cooks may be found who cannot even perform this simple operation, although they would deem it infra dig. to black their master’s boots.
The best way of boiling most vegetables is not to boil them in water at all, but in steam, using a contrivance which is called, I believe, a steamer ; but, as was done in the case of the gigantic turbot spoken of by Brillat Savarin, any vessel which will stand the fire can be con- verted into a steamer ; all that is required being that the thing to be cooked should be propped up above the boiling water. Vegetables so cooked or steamed, if in- tended to be eaten au naturel or a V Anglaise, taste much better than if boiled in water.
Potatoes, whether steamed or boiled, are always best cooked without being peeled, except however in the case of very old potatoes, which should not only be peeled but should have every “eye” carefully scooped out, and then, before they are boiled, they should be soaked in salted water for some time. My favourite way of cooking potatoes is — after they have been washed quite clean — to put them unpeeled into a saucepan filled with cold water to the height of about an inch, then to sprinkle them with salt, and to place a wet cloth on the top of them. The saucepan is then put on the fire, and in about half an hour placed aside on the kitchener to remain until the potatoes are w anted.
One point always to bear in mind in the matter of plain boiling potatoes is to sort them as much as possible all
VEGETABLES.
of a size, for each batch of them which is about to be cooked.
Another way of boiling potatoes is to fill a saucepan with them peeled or unpeeled, then to add a due allowance of salt, and to fill up with cold water. When they have been on the fire about half an hour drain off all the water, place a wet cloth on the top of them, and set the saucepan by the side of the fire. No other covering should be put upon the saucepan but the wet cloth afore- said. New potatoes should be well rubbed with a coarse cloth, and then cooked by either of the above methods, or steamed in a regular steamer. If they are very young they are all the better for lying in salt and water some time before they are cooked.
There are various ways of dressing new potatoes after they have been boiled. Tossing them in a saucepan with plenty of butter, and then adding a squeeze of lemon and some minced parsley produces what is called Potatoes a la Maitre dTIotel, and this form is applicable to old potatoes as well, but these should first be cut into slices.
By omitting the lemon and tossing the potatoes in butter until they begin to brown, you will have what are called Potatoes sautees. If you fry some onions in butter until they begin to take colour and then add either new or old potatoes cut in slices (both being previously boiled) you will have Pommes de Terre a la Lyonnaise. To this and the former a sprinkling of pepper should be added, but a delicious way of eating new potatoes is to put them raw into a saucepan with plenty of butter and to toss them until done, sprinkling with salt, and serving- very hot.
A favourite way with me to dress potatoes is this : Cut them up into quarters ; rub a saucepan with a piece