Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Potato Fritters. — Bake three or four large potatoes. Burst them open, and scoop out the floury part with a spoon. Beat four ounces of this flour well, and mix with it a table-spoonful of thick cream, a table-spoonful of sherry or brandy, two table-spoonfuls of sugar, a table-spoonful of lemon- juice, a little flavouring, and the well-beaten yolks of three and the whites of two eggs. Beat the batter for several minutes until it is quite smooth. Make the lard or dripping hot in the fryingpan, and drop into it the mixture, a large table-spoonful at a time. Two or three tablespoonfuls can be fried together, but they must be kept apart. When the fritters are nicely browned, drain them upon blotting-paper, serve them piled high on a white napkin, and sift powdered sugar thickly over them; send wine sauce to table with them. Time to fry the fritters, from five to seven minutes. Probable cost, 10d.. Sufficient for five or six persons. Potato Fritters (other ways). — Boil and peel the potatoes, grate or mash them, add four well-beaten eggs, a little cream, chopped parsley, chives, salt, and spice, and mix the whole well together. Drop a tea-spoonful of this paste into a pan of boHing lard or butter, when it will swell into a light fritter. Or, take the mealy part of potatoes roasted under the ashes ; beat it in a mortar with a little fine salt, a spoonful of brandy, some fresh butter and cream. Mix the whole, adding gradually a well-beaten egg ; shape the paste into small balls, which roll in flour, fry, and serve, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Potato Gipsy Pie. — Peel and slice thinly as many potatoes as will fill a moderatesized pie-dish. Put them into it in layers, and over each layer sprinkle a little salt and pepper, and a very small portion of finely-minced onion. Pour half a cupful of water over the whole, and place little pieces of butter here and there on the top ; cover with a good crust, and bake in a moderate oven. When the pie is done enough, pour a table-spoonful of mushroom ketchup into it, through the hole in the top, before serving it. Time to bake, according to the size of the pie. Probable cost, potatoes. Id. to 2d. per pound. Potato, History of the,— The introduction of the potato as an article of diet forms a, very interesting chapter in the history of the human race. It was brought into England by the colonists who were, in 1584, sent out by Queen Elizabeth, to " discover and plant new countries not possessed by Christians." Thomas Heriot, the mathematician, was one of these adventurers ; he returned with the rest, after an expedition of two years, and it has been supposed that to him we are indebted for the potato. Sir Walter lialeigh, who headed the expedition of discovery to North America, introduced the potato into Ireland on his return from Virginia ; but so little did he understand or care about this valuable root, that having planted and reared the plant on his estate at Youghal, in the county of Cork, and his gardener having gathered the " apples," as the fine fruit brought from abroad by his master was termed, Ealeigh ordered them to be rooted out. The gardener obeyed, and in so doing found a large quantity of tubers, which saved, the plants from destruction.