Potatoes Recipe

The best way to cook Irish potatoes, is to pare and put them in a pot,

with just boiling water enough to prevent their burning, and a little

salt. Cover them tight, and let them stew till you can stick a fork

through them easily. If any water remains in the pot, turn it off, put

the pot where it will keep moderately warm, and let the potatoes steam a

few moments longer. The easiest way to cook them, is to put them in

boiling water, with the skins on, and boiled constantly till done. They

will not be mealy if they lie soaking in the water without boiling. They

are more mealy to peel them as soon as tender, and then put back in the

pot without any water, and set in a warm place where they will steam,

with the lid of the pot off. Old and poor potatoes are best boiled till

soft, then peeled and mashed fine, with a little salt, butter, and very

little milk put in--then put into a dish, smoothed over with a knife, a

little flour sprinkled over it, and put where it will brown. Cold

mashed, or whole boiled potatoes, are nice cut in slices, and fried with

just butter or lard enough to prevent their burning. When brown on both

sides, take them up, salt and butter them. Most potatoes will boil in

the course of half an hour--new ones will boil in less time. Sweet

potatoes are better baked than boiled.