Cookery for every household

Choose medium-sized and evenly-shaped potatoes. Wash and scrub them well and bake them in their skins according to directions given in Recipe 535. When ready, Cut a piece of each with a sharp knife and scoop out all the inside, being careful not to damage the skins. Put the butter and milk into a saucepan and let them heat over the fire, sieve the potato and add it to them. Then season to taste with pepper, salt, and a pinch of nut- Baked Potato Souffles meg, and beat well until perfectly smooth. Now remove the saucepan from the fire, stir in the yolk of egg and lastly the white beaten to a stiff froth. Refill the potato skins with this mixture and sprinkle the tops with grated Parmesan. Place the souffles on a baking tin and bake in a moderate oven until well risen and lightly browned. Dish them on a folded serviette or dish paper and serve at once. Notes. — A little grated cheese may also be added to the mixture. The mixture may be baked in a souffle dish instead of the potato skins, making one large souffle Time to bake, 10 to 15 minutes. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons, 558. Stuffed Potatoes (Pommes de Terre Farcies) 4 or 5 potatoes. 3 or 4 table-sps. cooked meat. 1 tea-sp. chopped parsley. 2 table-sps. sauce or cream. Seasoning. A little butter. A few bread-crumbs. Choose potatoes of equal size and of a good shape. Scrub them clean and bake in a moderate oven until soft (see Recipe 535). Then cut a piece from the end of each and with a tea-spoon scoop out the insides without damaging the skins. Mash or sieve this pulp and put it into a basin. Add to it the meat finely chopped (it must be nice tasty meat such as beef and tongue, ham and chicken, &c.), the seasoning and parsley. Bind all together with some good sauce, cream, or beaten egg. Refill the skins with this mixture, piling it rather high in the centre. Sprinkle a few breadcrumbs over and put a small piece of butter on the top of each. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake them until thoroughly hot. Dish them on a folded serviette and garnish with a few sprigs of parsley. Note. — Grated cheese or finely shred fish may be used instead of meat. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons. 559. Stuffed Potatoes au Gratin (Pommes de Terre Farcies Gratinees) 6 potatoes. 1 oz. butter. 2 or 3 table-sps. grated cheese. Pepper, salt. \ tea-cupful milk or cream. A pinch of nutmeg. A few bread-crumbs. Choose good sound potatoes of medium size and regular in shape. Wash and brush them and cook them in the oven (see Recipe 535). When ready, make a round hole on the side of each with the Eoint of a knife and scoop out all the centre without reaking the skin. Rub this pulp through a sieve, then put it into a saucepan with the butter, milk, or cream, and seasoning. Beat over the fire for several minutes until white and light-looking, then add most of the cheese grated very finely. Fill the potato skins with this mixture, piling it high in the centre. Arrange them on a baking tin, sprinkle them with the remainder of the cheese, mixed with a few bread-crumbs; place a small piece of butter on the top of each and bake in a good oven until nicely browned. Serve the potatoes very hot on a dish paper or serviette.