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Stuffed Potatoes
Neatly wipe eight even-sized, large raw potatoes; place them in a roasting tin and bake in the oven for forty-five minutes; remove, cut in two lengthwise, then with a teaspoon scoop out the interiors into a bowl and keep six shells apart. Season the potatoes with a half teaspoon salt, two saltspoons pepper and a saltspoon grated nutmeg, add half ounce butter and half gill cream. Mix well with a wooden spoon, then fill up the six half shells with the puree, neatly smooth the surface with the blade of a knife, sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese evenly divided over them, place on a roasting tin and arrange a very little bit of butter over each potato. Set in the oven for ten minutes dress on a dish with a folded napkin and serve.
A straightforward twice-baked potato, but the original leaves the oven heat unstated and uses measures that no longer appear on spoons. A few notes make it reliable.
- Oven heatNo temperature is given in the original. A modern equivalent is 400F; 45 minutes suits potatoes of about 8 oz each, longer for anything larger. The same heat serves for the ten-minute finish.
- SaltspoonA saltspoon is a quarter teaspoon. So two saltspoons of pepper is a half teaspoon, and a saltspoon of nutmeg is a quarter teaspoon — assertive but correct for this dish.
- Half gill of creamRead as a US gill this is a quarter cup (4 tablespoons); an imperial gill is 5 fl oz, which would make half a gill nearer 2 1/2 fl oz, or 5 tablespoons. Either amount works. Heavy cream gives the intended texture; add it warm so the puree does not cool and stiffen.
- Half ounce butterOne tablespoon. Plus the "very little bit" dotted on top before the second bake.
- Eight potatoes, six shellsThis is not an error. Sixteen halves' worth of flesh goes into six shells, which is why the filling mounds properly and why only six shells are set aside. The ten spare shells can be discarded or crisped separately.
- Prick the skinsNot mentioned in the original. Pierce each potato a few times before baking so steam escapes and the flesh comes out dry and floury rather than damp.
- Getting colourTen minutes at 400F warms the potatoes through but barely browns the cheese. Finish for a minute or two under the broiler if you want the top spotted brown.
- Yield and the napkinSix filled halves, enough for three to six people as a side. The folded napkin on the serving dish is a period presentation convention; a warmed plate serves as well today.
Twice-baked stuffed potatoes appear in turn-of-the-century cookery under various names, including the French pommes de terre farcies, and sit alongside the many potato preparations set out in Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire. The method lends itself to service in stages, since shells and puree can be prepared ahead and the final ten minutes of heat given later. The grated nutmeg is worth noting: nutmeg was commonly used with potato and cream in French cookery of the period and is less often seen in English-language recipes today.