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Potatoes, Saute
Take the remains of ordinary plain-boiled potatoes that are not floury. Cut them up into small pieces, throw them into a frying-pan with a little butter, and fry gently until the edges begin to brown. Dish the potatoes, pour the butter over them, and sprinkle them with chopped parsley, pepper, and salt.
A straightforward use for leftover boiled potatoes, and the instructions hold up almost unchanged. The success of the dish rests entirely on the potatoes being cold, firm and waxy.
- "Not floury"This is the hinge. Use a waxy variety such as Charlotte or red-skinned new potatoes (Yukon Gold, being all-purpose, will do at a pinch), and let the boiled potatoes go cold and firm before frying. Floury bakers such as Russets or Maris Piper are more likely to break up as they are turned in the pan.
- Pan and heatA heavy skillet, cast iron or steel, over medium heat. "Fry gently" is meant literally: the point is browned edges, not deep-fried crispness, and butter alone will scorch above medium.
- Butter quantity"A little butter" is understated for a modern non-stick habit. Allow about 2 tablespoons per pound of potatoes, since some is poured back over the finished dish.
- Cut sizeSlices about 1/4 inch thick, or 1/2-inch dice, give the best ratio of browned surface to interior. Slices brown more evenly if laid in a single layer and left undisturbed for several minutes before turning.
- TimingFigure 10 to 15 minutes total. Turn only two or three times; constant stirring breaks the pieces and prevents any crust from forming.
- Seasoning orderThe original salts at the end, which is worth keeping — salt drawn out early makes the surfaces wet and hinders browning. Add the parsley off the heat so it stays green.
- YieldA pound of cooked potatoes will serve roughly two to three as a side dish.
Pommes de terre sautées belongs to the small economies of Victorian and Edwardian household cookery: a dish designed around what was already cold in the larder rather than around anything bought for it. The recipe assumes leftover boiled potatoes as a matter of course, and the finish of melted butter with chopped parsley gives a genteel turn to what was elsewhere simply fried potatoes. Its one real instruction to the cook is a distinction of texture rather than of variety — the potatoes must not be floury.