Page 96

96                HOUSEKEEPETRe BOOK.
                        ANOTHER.
   When the potatoes are nearly boiled enough, pour off the
water, peel and flour them, brush them over with yolk of
egg, then roll them in fine bread-crumbs or biscuit powder,
and fry in butter, or nice dripping. Or, they maybe gent-
ly stewed, in a sauce-pan, with butter; take care to turn
them, while stewing. Lay them on a sieve to drain, and
pour a white sauce over them, in the dish.
                   TO MASH POTATOES.
   When they are boiled purposely to mash, peel them and
cut out all the specks first, and when they are done and the
water has been poured from them, put them over the fire for
two or three minutes, to dry, then put in some salt and butter
and milk enough to moisten sufficiently for you to beat them
to a mash. The rolling-pin does this better than any thing
else. Cream is better than butter, and then no milk need be
used. Potatoes thus mashed may be put into a shape, or
into scallop-shells, with bits of butter on the top, and then
browned before the fire; either way will make a very pretty
dish. Or, they may be rolled up, with a very little flour
and yolk of egg into balls, and browned in the dripping-pan
under roast meat. These balls are very pretty to garnish
some dishes with. Onions are sometimes boiled, pulped
through a sieve, and mixed with mashed potatoes.
                  TO ROAST POTATOES.
  Some cooks half boil them first. They should be washed
clean and well dried, before they are put into the oven, or
before the fire. If they are large, they will take two hours
to roast, and they should be all of a size, or they will not be
done alike. Or, pour off the water, peel and lay them in a
tin pan, before the fire, by the side of roasting meat. Baste