salt, and sage. Fill hogs' guts that have been thoroughly soaked and
cleaned, and tie up the ends carefully. Or the minced meat may be kept
in a very small pan, closely covered, and so rolled and dusted with
flour before it is fried. Serve them up with stewed red cabbage, mashed
potatoes, or poached eggs. The sausages should be pricked with a pin,
before they are boiled or fried, or they will be liable to burst.
PORK STEAKS. Cut them from a loin or neck, and of middling thickness.
Pepper and broil them, and keep them turning. When nearly done, put on
salt, rub a bit of butter over, and serve the moment they are taken off
the fire, a few at a time.
PORKER'S HEAD. Choose a fine young head of pork, clean it well, and put
bread and sage as for pig. Sow it up tight, roast it as a young pig, on
the hanging jack, and serve it with the same kind of sauce.
PORTABLE SOUP. Boil one or two knuckles of veal, one or two shins of
beef, and three pounds of beef, in as much water only as will cover
them. Take the marrow out of the bones, put in any kind of spice, and
three large onions. When the meat is done to rags, strain it off, and
set it in a very cold place. Take off the cake of fat, which will do for
common pie crusts, and put the soup into a double-bottomed tin saucepan.
Set it on a pretty quick fire, but do not let it burn. It must boil fast
and uncovered, and be stirred constantly for eight hours. Put it into a
pan, and let it stand in a cold place a day; then pour it into a round
soup-dish, and set the dish into a stewpan of boiling water on a stove,
and let it boil. Stir it now and then, till the soup is thick and ropy;
then it is enough. Pour it into the little round part at the bottom of
cups and basons turned upside down, to form it into cakes; and when
cold, turn them out on flannel to dry. Keep them in tin canisters; and
when to be used, dissolve them in boiling water. The flavour of herbs
may be added, by first boiling and straining off the liquor, and melting
the soup in it. This preparation is convenient in travelling, or at sea,
where fresh meat is not readily obtained, as by this means a bason of
soup may be made in five minutes.
PORTER. This pleasant beverage may be made with eight bushels of malt to
the hogshead, and eight pounds of hops. While it is boiling in the
copper, add to it three pounds of liquorice root bruised, a pound of
Spanish liquorice, and twelve pounds of coarse sugar or treacle.
PORTUGAL CAKES. Take a pound of well-dried flour, a pound of loaf sugar,
a pound of butter well washed in orange-flower water, and a large blade
of mace. Take half the flour, and fifteen eggs, leaving out two of the
whites, and work them well together with the butter for half an hour,
shaking in the rest of the flour with a dredger. Put the cakes into a
cool oven, strewing over them a little sugar and flour, and let them
bake gently half an hour.
PORTUGUESE SOLES. If the fish be large, cut it in two: if small, they
need only be split open. The bones being taken out, put the fish into a
pan with a bit of butter, and some lemon juice. Fry it lightly, lay it
on a dish, spread a forcemeat over each piece, and roll it round,
fastening the roll with a few small skewers. Lay the rolls into a small
earthen pan, beat up an egg and smear them, and strew some crumbs over.
Put the remainder of the egg into the bottom of the pan, with a little
meat gravy, a spoonful of caper liquor, an anchovy chopped fine, and
some minced parsley. Cover the pan close, and bake in a slow oven till
the fish is done enough. Place the rolls in a dish for serving, and
cover it to keep them hot till the baked gravy is skimmed. If not
enough, a little fresh gravy must be prepared, flavoured as above, and
added to the fish. This is the Portuguese way of dressing soles.
PORTUGUESE STUFFING. Pound lightly some cold beef, veal, or mutton. Add
some fat bacon lightly fried and cut small, some onions, a little garlic
or shalot, some parsley, anchovy, pepper, salt, and nutmeg. Pound all
fine with a few crumbs, and bind it with two or three yolks of eggs.
This stuffing is for baked soles, the heads of which are to be left on
one side of the split part, and kept on the outer side of the roll; and
when served, the heads are to be turned towards each other in the dish.
Garnish with fried or dried parsley.
POT HERBS. As some of these are very pungent, they require to be used
with discretion, particularly basil, savoury, thyme, or knotted
marjoram. The other sorts are milder, and may be used more freely.
POT POURRI. Put into a large china jar the following ingredients in
layers, with bay salt strewed between. Two pecks of damask roses, part
in buds and part blown; violets, orange flowers and jasmine, a handful
of each; orris root sliced, benjamin and storax, two ounces of each; a
quarter of an ounce of musk, a quarter of a pound of angelica root
sliced, a quart of the red parts of clove gilliflowers, two handfuls of
lavender flowers, half a handful of rosemary flowers, bay and laurel
leaves, half a handful of each; three Seville oranges, stuck as full of
cloves as possible, dried in a cool oven and pounded, and two handfuls
of balm of gilead dried. Cover all quite close, and when the pot is
uncovered the perfume is very fine.
POTATOE BALLS. Mix some mashed potatoes with the yolk of an egg, roll
the mass into balls, flour them, or put on egg and bread crumbs, and fry
them in clean drippings, or brown them in a Dutch oven.--Potatoe balls
ragout are made by adding to a pound of potatoes, a quarter of a pound
of grated ham, or some chopped parsley, or sweet herbs; adding an onion
or shalot, salt and pepper, a little grated nutmeg or other spice, and
the yolks of two eggs. They are then to be dressed as potatoe balls.
POTATOE BREAD. Weigh half a pound of mealy potatoes after they are
boiled or steamed, and rub them while warm into a pound and a half of
fine flour, dried a little before the fire. When thoroughly mixed, put
in a spoonful of good yeast, a little salt, and warm milk and water
sufficient to work into dough. Let it stand by the fire to rise for an
hour and a half, then make it into a loaf, and bake it in a tolerably
brisk oven. If baked in a tin the crust will be more delicate, but the
bread dries sooner.--Another. To two pounds of well-boiled mealy
potatoes, rubbed between the hands till they are as fine as flour, mix
in thoroughly two large double handfuls of wheat flour, three good
spoonfuls of yeast, a little salt, and warm milk enough to make it the
usual stiffness of dough. Let it stand three or four hours to rise, then
mould it, make it up, and bake it like common bread.
POTATOE CHEESECAKES. Boil six ounces of potatoes, and four ounces of
lemon peel; beat the latter in a marble mortar, with four ounces of
sugar. Then add the potatoes, beaten, and four ounces of butter melted
in a little cream. When well mixed, let it stand to grow cold. Put crust
in pattipans, and rather more than half fill them. This quantity will
make a dozen cheesecakes, which are to be baked half an hour in a quick
oven, with some fine powdered sugar sifted over them.
POTATOE FRITTERS. Boil two large potatoes, scrape them fine; beat up
four yolks and three whites of eggs, and add a large spoonful of cream,
another of sweet wine, a squeeze of lemon, and a little nutmeg. Beat
this batter at least half an hour, till it be extremely light. Put a
good quantity of fine lard into a stewpan, and drop a spoonful of the
batter at a time into it, and fry the fritters. Serve for sauce a glass
of white wine, the juice of a lemon, one dessert spoonful of peach leaf
or almond water, and some white sugar. Warm them together, but do not
put the sauce into the dish.--Another way. Slice some potatoes thin, dip
them in a fine batter, and fry them. Lemon peel, and a spoonful of
orange-flower water, should be added to the batter. Serve up the
fritters with white sugar sifted over them.
POTATOE PASTE. Pound some boiled potatoes very fine, and while warm, add
butter sufficient to make the mash hold together. Or mix it with an egg;
and before it gets cold, flour the board pretty well to prevent it from
sticking, and roll the paste to the thickness wanted. If suffered to get
quite cold before it be put on the dish, it will be apt to crack.
POTATOE PASTY. Boil, peel, and mash some potatoes as fine as possible.
Mix in some salt, pepper, and a good piece of butter. Make a paste, roll
it out thin like a large puff, and put in the potatoe. Fold over one
half, pinching the edges, and bake it in a moderate oven.
POTATOE PIE. Skin some potatoes, cut them into slices, and season them.
Add some mutton, beef, pork, or veal, and put in alternate layers of
meat and potatoes.
POTATOE PUDDING. To make a plain potatoe pudding, take eight ounces of
boiled potatoes, two ounces of butter, the yolks and whites of two eggs,
a quarter of a pint of cream, a spoonful of white wine, the juice and
rind of a lemon, and a little salt. Beat all to a froth, sweeten it to
taste, make a crust to it, or not, and bake it. If the pudding is
required to be richer, add three ounces more of butter, another egg,
with sweetmeats and almonds. If the pudding is to be baked with meat,
boil the potatoes and mash them. Rub the mass through a cullender, and
make it into a thick batter with milk and two eggs. Lay some seasoned
steaks in a dish, then some batter; and over the last layer of meat pour
the remainder of the batter, and bake it of a fine brown.--Another. Mash
some boiled potatoes with a little milk, season it with pepper and salt,
and cut some fat meat into small pieces. Put a layer of meat at the
bottom of the dish, and then a layer of potatoe till the dish is full.
Smooth the potatoes on the top, shake a little suet over it, and bake it
to a fine brown. Mashed potatoes may also be baked as a pudding under
meat, or placed under meat while roasting, or they may be mixed with
batter instead of flour.
POTATOE ROLLS. Boil three pounds of potatoes, bruise and work them with
two ounces of butter, and as much milk as will make them pass through a
cullender. Take nearly three quarters of a pint of yeast, and half a
pint of warm water; mix them with the potatoes, pour the whole upon five
pounds of flour, and add some salt. Knead it well: if not of a proper
consistence, add a little more warm milk and water. Let it stand before
the fire an hour to rise; work it well, and make it into rolls. Bake
them about half an hour, in an oven not quite so hot as for bread. The
rolls will eat well, toasted and buttered.
POTATOE SNOW. The whitest sort of potatoes must be selected, and free
from spots. Set them over the fire in cold water; when they begin to
crack, strain off the water, and put them into a clean stewpan by the
side of the fire till they are quite dry, and fall to pieces. Rub them
through a wire sieve on the dish they are to be sent up in, and do not
disturb them afterwards.
POTATOE SOUP. Cut a pound and a half of gravy beef into thin slices,
chop a pound of potatoes, and an onion or two, and put them into a
kettle with three quarts of water, half a pint of blue peas, and two
ounces of rice. Stew these till the gravy is quite drawn from the meat,
strain it off, take out the beef, and pulp the other ingredients through
a coarse sieve. Add the pulp to the soup, cut in two or three roots of
celery, simmer in a clean saucepan till this is tender, season with
pepper and salt, and serve it up with fried bread cut into it.
POTATOE STARCH. Raw potatoes, in whatever condition, constantly afford
starch, differing only in quality. The round grey or red produce the
most, affording about two ounces of starch to a pound of pulp. The
process is perfectly easy. Peel and wash a pound of full grown potatoes,
grate them on a bread grater into a deep dish, containing a quart of
clear water. Stir it well up, then pour it through a hair sieve, and
leave it ten minutes to settle, till the water is quite clear. Then pour
off the water, and put a quart of fresh water to it; stir it up, let it
settle, and repeat this till the water is quite clear. A fine white
powder will at last be found at the bottom of the vessel. The criterion
of this process being completed, is the purity of the water that comes
from it after stirring it up. Lay the powder on a sheet of paper in a
hair sieve to dry, either in the sun or before the fire, and it is ready
for use. Put into a well stopped bottle, it will keep good for many
months. If this be well made, a table-spoonful of it mixed with twice
the quantity of cold water, and stirred into a soup or sauce, just
before it is taken up, will thicken a pint of it to the consistence of
cream. This preparation much resembles the Indian Arrow Root, and is a
good substitute for it. It gives a fulness on the palate to gravies and
sauces at hardly any expense, and is often used to thicken melted butter
instead of flour. Being perfectly tasteless, it will not alter the
flavour of the most delicate broth or gruel.
POTATOES. The following is allowed to be a superior method of raising
potatoes, and of obtaining a larger and finer growth. Dig the earth
twelve inches deep, if the soil will admit, and afterwards open a hole
about six inches deep, and twelve wide. Fill it with horse dung, or long
litter, about three inches thick, and plant a whole potatoe upon it;
shake a little more dung over it, and mould up the earth. In this way
the whole plot of ground should be planted, placing the potatoes at
least sixteen inches apart. When the young shoots make their appearance,
they should have fresh mould drawn round them with a hoe; and if the
tender shoots are covered, it will prevent the frost from injuring them.
They should again be earthed, when the roots make a second appearance,
but not covered, as in all probability the season will be less severe. A
plentiful supply of mould should be given them, and the person who
performs this business should never tread upon the plant, or the hillock
that is raised round it, as the lighter the earth is the more room the
potatoe will have to expand. In Holland, the potatoes are strangely
cultivated, though there are persons who give the preference to Dutch
potatoes, supposing them to be of a finer grain than others. They are
generally planted in the fields, in rows, nearly as thick as beans or
peas, and are suffered to grow up wild and uncultivated, the object
being to raise potatoes as small as possible, while the large ones, if
such there happen to be, are thrown out and given to the pigs. The mode
of cultivation in Ireland, where potatoes are found in the greatest
perfection, is far different, and probably the best of all. The round
rough red are generally preferred, and are esteemed the most genuine.
These are planted in rows, and only just put in beneath the soil. These
rows are divided into beds about six feet wide, a path or trench is left
between the beds, and as the plants vegetate the earth is dug out of the
trench, and thrown lightly over the potatoes. This practice is continued
all the summer, the plants are thus nourished by the repeated accession
of fresh soil, and the trench as it deepens serves the purpose of
keeping the beds dry, and of carrying off the superfluous water. The
potatoes are always rich and mealy, containing an unusual quantity of
wholesome flour.
POTATOES BOILED. The vegetable kingdom scarcely affords any food more
wholesome, more easily procured, easily prepared, or less expensive than
the potatoe; yet although this most useful vegetable is dressed almost
every day, in almost every family,--for one plate of potatoes that comes
to table as it should, ten are spoiled. There is however a great
diversity in the colour, size, shape, and quality of the potatoe, and
some are of a very inferior description. The yellow are better than the
white, but the rough red are the most mealy and nutritive. Choose those
of a moderate size, free from blemishes, and fresh. It is best to buy
them in the mould, as they come from the bed, and they should not be
wetted till they are cleaned for cooking. Protect them from the air and
frost, by laying in heaps in a dry place, covering them with mats, or
burying them in dry sand. If the frost affects them, the life of the
vegetable is destroyed, and the potatoe speedily rots. When they are to
be dressed, wash them, but do not pare or cut them, unless they are very
large. Fill a saucepan half full of potatoes of an equal size, and add
as much cold water as will cover them about an inch. Most boiled things
are spoiled by having too little water, but potatoes are often spoiled
by too much: they should merely be covered, and a little allowed for
waste in boiling. Set them on a moderate fire till they boil, then take
them off, and place them on the side of the fire to simmer slowly, till
they are soft enough to admit a fork. The usual test of their skin
cracking is not to be depended on, for if they are boiled fast this will
happen when the potatoes are not half done, and the inside is quite
hard. Pour off the water the minute the potatoes are done, or they will
become watery and sad; uncover the saucepan, and set it at such a
distance from the fire as will prevent its burning; the superfluous
moisture will then evaporate, and the potatoes become perfectly dry and
mealy. This method is in every respect equal to steaming, and the
potatoes are dressed in half the time.
POTATOES BROILED. Parboil, then slice and broil them. Or parboil, and
set them whole on the gridiron over a very slow fire. When thoroughly
done, send them up with their skins on. This method is practised in many
Irish families.
POTATOES IN CREAM. Half boil some potatoes, drain and peel them nicely,
and cut into neat pieces. Put them into a stewpan with some cream, fresh
butter, and salt, of each a proportion to the quantity of potatoes; or
instead of cream, put some good gravy, with pepper and salt. Stew them
very gently, and be careful to prevent their breaking.
POTATOES FRIED. If they are whole potatoes, first boil them nearly
enough, and then put them into a stewpan with a bit of butter, or some
nice clean beef drippings. To prevent their burning, shake them about
till they are brown and crisp, and then drain them from the fat. It
would be an elegant improvement, to flour and dip them in the yolk of
an egg previous to frying, and then roll them in fine sifted bread
crumbs: they would then deserve to be called potatoes full dressed.--If
to be fried in slices or shavings, peel some large potatoes, slice them
about a quarter of an inch thick, or cut them in shavings round and
round, as in peeling a lemon. Dry them well in a clean cloth, and fry
them in lard or dripping. Take care that the fat and the fryingpan are
both perfectly clean. Put the pan on a quick fire; as soon as the lard
boils, and is still, put in the potatoe slices, and keep moving them
till they are crisp. Take them up and lay them to drain on a sieve, and
then send them to table with a very little salt sprinkled over.--To fry
cold potatoes, put a bit of clean dripping into a fryingpan. When
melted, slice in the potatoes with a little pepper and salt; set them on
the fire, and keep them stirring. When quite hot, they are ready. This
is a good way of re-dressing potatoes, and making them palatable.
POTATOES MASHED. When the potatoes are thoroughly boiled, drain and dry
them well, and pick out every speck. Rub them through a cullender into a
clean stewpan: to a pound of potatoes allow half an ounce of butter, and
a spoonful of milk. Mix it up well, but do not make it too moist. After
Lady day, when potatoes are getting old and specked, and also in frosty
weather, this is the best way of dressing them. If potatoes are to be
mashed with onions, boil the onions, and pass them through a sieve. Mix
them with the potatoes, in such a proportion as is most approved.
POTATOES PRESERVED. To keep potatoes from the frost, lay them up in a
dry store room, and cover them with straw, or a linen cloth. If this be
not convenient, dig a trench three or four feet deep, and put them in as
they are taken up. Cover them with the earth taken out of the trench,
raise it up in the middle like the roof of a house, and cover it with
straw so as to carry off the rain. Better still if laid above ground,
and covered with a sufficient quantity of mould to protect them from the
frost, as in this case they are less likely to be injured by the wet.
Potatoes may also be preserved by suffering them to remain in the
ground, and digging them up in the spring of the year, as they are
wanted.
POTATOES ROASTED. Choose them nearly of a size, wash and dry the
potatoes, and put them in a Dutch oven, or cheese toaster. Take care not
to place them too near the fire, or they will burn on the outside before
they are warmed through. Large potatoes will require two hours to roast
them properly, unless they are previously half boiled. When potatoes are
to be roasted under meat, they should first be half boiled, drained from
the water, and placed in the pan under the meat. Baste them with some of
the dripping, and when they are browned on one side, turn and brown them
on the other. Send them up round the meat, or in a small dish.
POTATOES SCALLOPED. Having boiled and mashed the potatoes, butter some
clean scallop shells, or pattipans, and put in the potatoes. Smooth them
on the top, cross a knife over them, strew on a few fine bread crumbs,
sprinkle them a little with melted butter from a paste brush, and then
set them in a Dutch oven. When they are browned on the top, take them
carefully out of the shells, and brown the other side.
POTATOES STEAMED. The potatoes must be well washed, but not pared, and
put into the steamer when the water boils. Moderate sized potatoes will
require three quarters of an hour to do them properly. They should be
taken up as soon as they are done enough, or they will become watery:
peel them afterwards.
POTTED BEEF. Take two pounds of lean beef, rub it with saltpetre, and
let it lie one night. Then lay on common salt, and cover it with water
four days in a small pan. Dry it with a cloth, season it with black
pepper, lay it into as small a pan as will hold it, cover it with coarse
paste, but put in no liquor, and bake it five hours in a very cool oven.
When cold, pick out the strings and fat. Beat the meat very fine, with a
quarter of a pound of fine butter just warm, but not oiled, and as much
of the gravy as will make it into a paste. Put it into very small pots,
and cover them with clarified butter.--Another way. Take beef that has
been dressed, either boiled or roasted; beat it in a mortar with some
pepper and salt, a few cloves, grated nutmeg, and a little fine butter
just warm. This eats as well as the former, but the colour is not so
fine. It is however a good way for using the remains of a large joint.
POTTED BIRDS. Having cleaned them nicely, rub every part well with a
seasoning of white pepper and salt, mace and allspice in fine powder.
Put them in a pan, lay on some butter, cover it with a paste of coarse
flour, and a paper tied closely over. When baked and grown cold, cut
them into pieces proper for helping, pack them close into a large
potting-pan, and leave as little space as possible to receive the
butter. Cover them with butter, and one third less will be wanted than
when the birds are done whole.
POTTED CHEESE. Cut and pound four ounces of Cheshire cheese, one ounce
and a half of fine butter, a tea-spoonful of white powdered sugar, a
little bit of mace, and a glass of white wine. Press it down in a deep
pot.
POTTED DAMSONS. Weigh the damsons, and wipe them dry one by one,
allowing one pound of fine sugar to three pounds of fruit. Spread a
little of the sugar at the bottom of the jar, then a layer of fruit, and
so on till the jar is full. Then add three or four spoonfuls of water,
tie it down close, and put it several times into a cool oven.
POTTED DRIPPING. Boil six pounds of good beef dripping in soft water,
strain it into a pan, and let it stand to cool. Take off the hard fat,
scrape off the gravy, and repeat it several times. When the fat is cold
and hard, put it into a saucepan with six bay leaves, six cloves, half a
pound of salt, and a quarter of a pound of whole pepper. Let the fat be
entirely melted; and when it has cooled a little, strain it through a
sieve into the pot, and tie it down. Turn the pot upside down, that no
rats or mice may get at it, and it will keep a long time, and make good
puff paste, or crust for puddings.