New Potatoes in Winter
Ingredients
Directions
Store
Cover the bottom of a large box with 2 inches of dry vegetable mould.
Lay ox‑noble potatoes side by side to cover the mould.
Cover the potatoes with 2 more inches of mould and repeat for 4 or 5 layers.
Store the box covered with dry straw in a warm cellar.
Cook and serve
To cook, place potatoes in cold salted water and boil gently.
Change the water when half done, using previously boiled salted water.
When nearly done, add a cup of cold water to stop boiling.
Remove from heat when potatoes crack, then let them sit uncovered for 5 minutes.
Serve immediately to avoid sogginess.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Ox-noble potatoes
- Starchy flesh that softens into a fluffy, tender texture when boiled.
- Dry vegetable mould
- Packs and insulates the potatoes, keeping them dry and stored through the winter.
The step that matters
Remove from heat when potatoes crack. Boiling past the point of doneness makes the starchy flesh break down and turn waterlogged. Adding cold water and removing the pan from heat stops the boil, so the potatoes finish cooking gently and hold their shape.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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