Potatoes in Cream No. 3

A straightforward creamed potato that depends almost entirely on how the potatoes are handled between the pot and the pan. The original gives no quantities beyond the butter, so the proportions are yours to set.

• The hinge: dry the potatoesDraining and then covering with a single layer of cheesecloth lets steam escape while keeping the potatoes warm, so the surfaces dry rather than turn to mush. A clean thin tea towel over the colander does the same job. Wet potatoes will thin the cream and collapse into paste during the simmer.
• QuantitiesTwo tablespoons of butter suits about 2 lb of potatoes, roughly six medium, and takes 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cream to cover once cubed. That serves four to six as a side.
• Cut orderThe instruction to cube first and peel afterwards works because the skins slip off cooked potato in sheets. If that seems fussy, peel the whole potato while hot and then cube; do not peel before boiling, since the skin is what keeps the flesh from waterlogging.
• Potato varietyA waxy or all-purpose potato holds its cubes through 20 minutes in cream. Russets and other high-starch bakers will break down and give you a thick puree, which is not unpleasant but is not this dish.
• "Cream" in this periodCream sold loose in the early twentieth century often ran somewhere around 18 to 20 percent fat, closest to today's light cream or half-and-half. Heavy cream works and reduces to a heavier sauce; whole milk will not thicken and tends to catch.
• Simmer means barely movingTwenty minutes of real boiling will break the cream and scorch the pan bottom. Keep it at a bare tremble over low heat, uncovered so the cream reduces and clings, and shake the pan rather than stirring hard to avoid mashing the cubes.
• Seasoning timingAdd the salt and paprika at the start so they dissolve into the cream, but hold back half the parsley until the end. Twenty minutes in hot cream turns fresh parsley drab and flat.