Mashed Potatoes
I love mashed potatoes but the ones I made had very little taste. I was
taught to peel and dice the potatoes, cover them with water, add salt then
boil until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain, add butter and whip with a
mixer, add heated milk and continue whipping to desired consistency. I
also tried boiling the potatoes in chicken broth (which did improve the
flavor) and using broth instead of milk but there was always a chance they
would still be bland, lumpy or gluey.
After I ran across Changes produced in Cooking Vegetables
from Facts For Farmers (1865) I tried cooking the potatoes whole
(but peeled). It takes about twice as long for them to cook but the
texture and taste is far superior. When completely done,
they can very easily be mashed with a fork
Serves two mashed potato lovers:
Use a big enough and deep enough pan so potatoes will be fully covered
with water. Fill pan about 2/3+ full of water and bring to hard boil. Add
salt if desired. Peel potatoes and leave whole. Use tongs or a big spoon
to put potatoes in the boiling water. Boil fast until completely tender -
about 35-40 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain potatoes,
put in bowl. Add milk or chicken broth to pan, turn off burner and let
milk or broth warm. Mash potatoes with fork. Add salt, pepper and butter
to taste. Stir in heated milk or chicken broth until potatoes are the
consistency you like.
Variation: Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Prepare as above but add 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic to milk or broth
while heating.
mjs - Veneta, OR
Oven Roasted Potatoes
Serves 2 potato lovers:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Use an oven proof pan or dish large
enough to keep potatoes in a single layer.
Scrub potatoes well then dry. Do not peel. Lightly coat bottom and
sides of dish with olive oil. Cut potatoes into dish in any way you like
but leave pieces big. Sometimes I cube, sometimes I make steak fry size or
even whole thick slices. Pour just enough oil over potatoes to coat all
sides. Add salt and pepper. Mix potatoes until coated with oil. Arrange
potatoes in one layer. Crush rosemary and/or thyme and sprinkle over
potatoes (go easy, a little goes a long way), Cook uncovered about 15
minutes, turn and continue cooking about another 15 minutes or until
center is soft and outside is brown. Potatoes may stick. If you have
trouble turning them after 15 minutes, just leave them unturned instead of
breaking them up. The bottom will be browner than the top but taste is
not really affected.
IMPORTANT: Remove from
oven and let cool for about 4-5 minutes. When they cool a little they will
be much easier to remove from the pan. While they are cooling you may want
to tilt the dish a little so the excess oil drains away from the potatoes.
mjs - Veneta, OR Crisp Cottage Fries
4-5 medium potatoes (I like the red ones but any will do)
1 medium onion (optional)
enough vegetable oil to have about an 1" of oil in a large skillet
salt
pepper Scrub and dry potatoes, peel onion. Using Mandolin
slicer* or knife slice potatoes and onions crosswise as thin as you can.
Heat oil hot. Carefully drop slices of potatoes and onion into oil. (I
drop in one at a time, otherwise they tend to stick together.) Fry fast,
separating potatoes and turning often until crisp and a golden brown.
Remove cooked slices to allow more room in skillet until all are done.
Drain well on brown paper or paper towels. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve
with ketchup, if desired. For less crisp potatoes, slice
them a little bit thicker and don't cook as long.
*A
Mandolin Slicer makes it fast and easy to get the thin potato and
onion slices. Check at your local discount store. I use a cheap (less than
$10.00) plastic one that does just fine. mjs - Veneta, OR
Potato Pancakes
One cupful of riced potatoes, half a teaspoonful of salt, one egg beaten,
one tablespoonful of flour, quarter of a cupful of milk. Mix the above
ingredients in the order given, beat thoroughly and bake on an aluminum
griddle to save fat. from: "How To Do Things" The Farm
Journal - 1919
The following potato recipes are taken from Tried and True Recipes Third Book
compiled by Elizabeth B. Bashinsky, Chairman Educational Committee Alabama
Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy, no copyright notice.
Preface dated Troy, Alabama, October 17, 1937. Potatoes au Gratin
Make a cream sauce of 1-1/2 cups sweet milk, 1 tablespoon
flour, and 1 tablespoon butter. Stir in 1/2 cup grated cheese and season with
salt, Cayenne, and white pepper. Cut boiled potatoes into blocks, (a pint),
arrange in pyrex baking dish in alternate layers of potatoes and cheese sauce
until dish is filled. Bake, brown, and serve hot. (Opelika, Ala.)
Potatoes and Cheese Casserole
Boil white potatoes in jackets. Peel and chip into
small pieces. Into dish, place layers of potatoes, cracker crumbs, and
grated cheese. Repeat until dish is not more than two-thirds full: In
double boiler make sauce, using milk, 2 tablespoons butter, a little
cornstarch, and white pepper. Pour over top of crumbs and bake delicate
brown. (Montgomery, Ala.)
Creamed Potatoes in Pepper Shells
2-1/2 cups diced, cooked potatoes
1 slice onion
1 small stalk celery
1 pint milk
4 level tablespoons flour
4 level tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated cheese
6 green peppers (sweet)
Process: Scald chopped celery and onion in milk for
5 minutes and strain. Cook flour in melted butter, add hot milk, slowly
stirring until smooth and creamy; add potatoes, salt, and pepper, and cook
10 minutes. Remove from fire, add cheese and stir until well mixed. Cut
green peppers into halves lengthwise, remove seeds and fill with potatoes.
Cover with buttered crumbs and bake until brown. (Atlanta, Ga.)
Potato Croquettes
2 cups hot riced potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Onion juice, Cayenne
Yolk 1 egg
Process: Mix in order given; beat thoroughly and
spread in dish to cool. Shape, dip into egg and into crumbs, fry in deep,
hot fat, drain on brown paper. Arrange in pyramid and garnish with
parsley.
Boiled and Creamed Potatoes
Pare potatoes and drop at once into cold water to
soak about 30 minutes. Drop into boiling, salted water and boil uncovered
for 20 minutes, or until they are sufficiently tender to pierce with a
straw. Pour over them melted butter to which pepper and salt, if needed,
have been added. To cream potatoes, run through ricer, add hot milk,
melted butter and pepper and beat until light and fluffy. Place over hot
water to re-heat and serve at once. (Troy, Ala.)
Potato Chips
Wash, pare and cut potatoes into very thin slices.
Soak for an hour in cold water. Drain and dry thoroughly between towels.
Fry until golden brown in deep fat. Keep the potatoes in motion with a
fork or skimmer. Remove from frying basket and drain on absorbent paper.
Sprinkle lightly with salt.
[ed. note] Unpeeled potatoes work too. A
Mandolin Slicer (less than $10.00 at your local discount store) makes it fast and easy to get the really thin potato
slices needed for chips.
French Fried Potatoes
Wash and pare [or not] potatoes. Cut into
quarter-inch strips lengthwise. Soak in cold water half hour. Drain and
dry between towels to absorb excess moisture. Fry in deep fat at 395
degrees F. Cook until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Dust with
salt; serve at once.
Irish Potato Puffs
1 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
Process: Beat yolks until creamy, add mashed
potatoes; mix thoroughly. Sift together dry ingredients and add to
potatoes. Beat whites stiff and fold into mixture. Drop from tip of
teaspoon into deep hot fat and fry a delicate brown. Drain on brown paper
and serve hot. Lovely with creamed chicken, or creamed meat. (Troy, Ala.)
Georgia Potatoes
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons grated cheese
1 can pimentoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Bread crumbs
Process: Cut potatoes into tiny dice. Melt butter,
stir in flour and slowly add milk and cream, stirring constantly. Season
with salt and pepper and bring to the boiling point. Cook until thick.
Chop pimentoes and beat egg yolks. Add with grated cheese to sauce; mix
thoroughly;. Put a layer in a buttered baking dish and add a layer of
potatoes. Continue layer for layer until all is used, making the last
layer of the sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake.
Hashed Brown Potatoes
Cut fat, salt pork into small pieces; fry, remove
bacon, and strain fat. Heat 4 tablespoons bacon fat in an iron skillet,
add 2 cups cold boiled potatoes finely chopped. Season with salt and
pepper. Toss potatoes until well mixed with fat; cook 4 minutes, tossing
constantly; then press to one side of skillet to form an omelet. When well
browned in oven, turn upon a hot dish and serve.
Stuffed Potatoes with Cheese and Bacon
4 large potatoes, baked
4 slices bacon
4 tablespoons grated cheese
1/4 cup hot milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Process: Cut hot potatoes into halves, lengthwise.
Remove potato and force through ricer; add cheese, seasoning, and hot
milk. Beat well, re-fill potato skins, put a slice of bacon upon top of
each and place upon the upper rack of a hot oven, until bacon is crisp.
Serve hot. (Troy Ala.)
Lyonnaise Potatoes
Slice an onion into thin slices and brown in 3
tablespoons butter. Remove onion and keep warm. Add 3 cups cold, sliced
potatoes, salt, and pepper. Mix well with butter, then press to side of
skillet and let brown underneath. Sprinkle onion over potatoes, heat
thoroughly, turn upon hot platter top side down, sprinkle with finely
chopped parsley, and serve. for
more potato recipes, nutritional information and fun facts about potatoes,
visit potatohelp.com
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