STILL HARPING ON POTATOES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 64, 13 September 1940, Page 37

STILL HARPING ON POTATOES

CANNOT do better than continue, this week, the consideration of potatoes; for so many excellent recipes using them in varied and healthful ways have been sent to me during these past weeks of competition, that it is only right to share them all with you. Remember that potatoes are a good acid absorbent, and so are quite good in cases of biliousness. Even people with rheumatism may eat potatoes if they are cooked dry and in their jackets-that is to say, baked in the oven, when they may be eaten skins and all. A complete and nourishing meal may be made of potatoes with cheese or fish, accompanied by milk, and some green vegetables or fruit. Here are some recipes sent in by the Daisy Chain, using potatoes with fish. First, the one which won the prize in the Competition: Potato and Fish Souffle One cup of cooked fish, 1 cup of mashed potatoes, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of butter, a little milk, a dash of lemon juice, salt, ground ginger and parsley to taste. Place the butter and milk over a low flame, and add the potatoes, Beat very well. While heating, add egg yolks and beat well. Add the fish and seasonings. Fold in stiffly beaten whites. Put into a buttered pie-dish and bake about 20 minutes in a quick oven. Serve as soon as it is cooked. — (Mornington, Wellington). Fish Roll One pound of cold fish, 1 cup of flour, 1 egg, 20z. of butter, 1 large cup of mashed potatoes, salt and pepper. Rub the butter into the flour, add potatoes and seasoning and mix to a paste with the beaten egg. Roll out and spread with flaked fish, roll up, and bake brown in a quick oven. — (Mornington, Wellington). Casserole of Smoked Fish One and a-half pounds of cold cooked smoked fish. Make a good white sauce, cut four large potatoes into dice, add to the sauce, season with salt, nutmeg, pepper, and parsley, and pour this over the fish which has been flaked and put in a pie-dish. Put slices of hard-boiled egg around the top, and bake in the oven for about an hour. Serve with fingers of fried bread. Fish and Potato Dish Make a paste, with 2 cups of mashed potatoes, 1 or 2 eggs beaten, and mixed well into the potatoes. Use enough flour to make the paste of a nice consistency for rolling out. Cut into circles, with a saucer or a cup. Mix some cooked fish, a little finely cut, or grated, onion, and

grated cheese, on each round of paste, fold over, or place another piece of paste on top, and press well all round. Fry in hot fat. This is very nice for breakfast or luncheon.-(Remuera, Auckland). Fish Chowder One quart of milk, 11b. of fish, cut in steaks, 1lb. of diced potatoes, 1 cupful of cut onions, 1 tablespoon of dripping or butter, salt to taste, 1 cupful of dried breadcrumbs, a shake of pepper, 2 tablespoons of flour, and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley. Boil the fish in just enough water to cover, then pick it into small pieces, add it to the potatoes and the onions, which have been boiled until tender in very little water. Put the dripping or butter into a saucepan, add the flour, stir until smooth, then add to the potatoes and fish. Add the hot milk and seasoning. Just before serving, add the breadcrumbs and parsley -(Woolston, Christchurch). Presumably one does not strain away the water from the fish and the vegetables, but uses it all in the chowder. Fish Cutlets Three-quarters of a pound of fish cut-lets-(about six thin cutlets)-34lb. of mashed potatoes, yolk of 1 egg, salt, pepper, lemon rind, wholemeal, and fat, for shallow frying. Sprinkle the cutlets with salt, pepper, and a few drops of lemon juice. Mix the potatoes with the yolk of the egg, and salt, and also about a teaspoon of finely grated lemon rind. Cover each piece of fish completely with potato. Smooth over with a knife. Brush over with beaten egg or milk, dip in fine breadcrumbs, or wholemeal. When set, coat each piece again. Fry in hot fat to a golden brown. Drain on paper. Serve hot, garnished with parsley -(New Brighton).

"Sole Otera" Four large potatoes, 4 small fillets of sole, or any other fish, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 cupful of good cheese sauce, pepper and salt to taste. Bake the potatoes in their jackets. When soft, cut a neat round in the top of each. Scoop out most of the potato. Put a little of the cheese sauce into each potato, season and roll up each fillet of sole (or fish) and put one fillet into each potato case. Put these back into the oven until the fish is cooked-about half an hour. Before serving, pour a little more of the cheese sauce over each potato, and garnish with parsley. This is enough for four persons.-(Upper Hutt). When I make this recipe, I find it best to partly cook the rolled-up fillets first, for about ten minutes in a little water; and I mash the scooped-out potato and put it over the top before baking. Fish Mould Flake up some cooked fish, add salt and pepper, and enough cream to make it moist. Mix this with an equal quantity of mashed potatoes, and 1 beaten egg. Butter a pudding basin, pour in the mixture. and steam for about 144 hours.

Turn out, and pour over some thick white sauce. Garnish with parsley, and scrve.-(Waipawa). Fish and Potato Casserole One and a-half pounds of mashed potatoes, oz. butter, 1 egg, 120z. of mashed fish, 42 pint of good white"sauce and a little parsley. Mix together the mashed potato, the egg, and butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then make a border or well with it in the casserole. Blend the mashed fish with white sauce and parsley, and put it into the centre. Mark the potato nicely round the edge. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 or 40 minutes. A little chopped parsley may be added to the potato if desired. Potato and Oyster Savoury Bake 6 round potatoes in their skins, and when cooked, slice a piece off the top of each, Scrape out the insides, and pass these through a sieve, adding a little warm butter, celery salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in some thick cream, and 2 teaspoons of grated cheese, and beat till white and creamy. Carefully line the potato-cases with this mixture, keeping well against the sides, and leaving the middle hollow, When this is done, fill with prepared oysters, and put in a quick oven till quite hot. When ready

to serve, close the top with a slice of tomato.-(Lower Hutt). Baked Fish Roly-Poly Take 1lb. of cooked fish, 2 dessertspoons of butter (or a teacup of white sauce), 1 egg, 1121b. of mashed potatoes, 1 teaspoon of minced parsley, and a little tomato sauce. Stir the parsley into the well-seasoned, mashed potatoes, and roll out. Spread this with the flaked fish, slightly moistened with the white sauce or melted. butter, and roll into a rolypoly. Brush over with beaten egg, prick with a fork, and bake quickly in a buttered dish. Serve with tomato sauce.(Lower Hutt).