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Saratoga, New York Potato Dish

 
Subject: Re: Saratoga Potatoes
From: Mary
Date: 10/20/2018 3:22 PM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com

On 10/20/2018 9:10 AM, Mary wrote:

Many years ago I had a recipe for potatoes sliced and simmered in milk/cream for a 
very long time.  (Hours).   The title  had Saratoga and mentioned  New York....
It was great however I cannot find the cookbook that it was in, I think it was one 
of the “old time recipe books”.   Does this sound familiar to you?

Thank you

Mary

Hello Mary,

Occasionally I get a recipe request with a description that just doesn't match up with anything that I know or or anything that I can find. This seems to be the case with your request.

The only potato recipes that I know of or that I found that are called "Saratoga potatoes" are recipes for potato chips and a U.S. Army recipe. Potato chips were originally called "Saratoga potatoes" or "Saratoga chips."  The U.S. Army recipe is an old one. See the first recipe below. Potatoes are diced and boiled, then fried, then mixed with parsley and onions and a quart of milk, then thickened with flour.  There is also something called "Syracuse Potatoes", which are whole potatoes boiled in salted water.  There might be a recipe associated with another city in New York or a restaurant in New York, but I could not find one that fit your description. Nothing that mentioned "New York."

When you say it was in "one of the 'old time recipe books,'" I'm not sure if you mean one of a series of cookbooks titled "Old Time Recipes" or if you mean it generally as just an old cookbook.

I tried dropping the Saratoga and New York references and just searched for a recipe that fit your description of "potatoes sliced and simmered in milk/cream for a very long time. (hours)." I suppose it might be a scalloped potatoes recipe, but simmering for hours doesn't seem right fot that dish. The closest recipe that I could find to your description is the "Countryside Creamed Potatoes" recipe below, but the potatoes are only simmered for 30 minutes, not hours. The only recipes that I can find in which the potatoes are simmered for hours are recipes for mashed potatoes or recipes in which the potatoes are mashed with cream added (creamed potatoes), or recipes for potato soup. You don't mention any mashing or anything about soup.

Mary, anytime you simmer sliced potatoes for hours, whether in milk, cream, or water, I think you are going to end up with something close to soup.  I did look for potato soup recipes that mentioned "Saratoga" or "New York", but I had no luck finding anything that seemed to fit. I need more information to make any sort of a connection.

Phaed

Saratoga Potatoes
from: "Recipes Used in the Cooking Schools, U.S. Army"
By United States Army

Dice potatoes raw, boil them until done, then drain
and set away and let cool. When cool fry in butter or
lard until nice and brown. Add parsley and onions,
1 quart rich milk. Thicken with 1/4 pound flour.
Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Countryside Creamed Potatoes

2 tbsp. butter
3/4 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. milk
5 med. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Melt butter in a medium-size heavy skillet. Add cream and milk. 
Heat, do not boil. Slip the potato slices into the hot cream, 
one at a time, until evenly distributed. The liquid should barely 
cover the potatoes. Season with half the salt and pepper. Simmer 
for 30 minutes. Turn the potatoes carefully. Season with remaining 
salt and pepper; simmer for 30 minutes more. Serves 4.
==================================================================

Thank you for  checking on this for me.  I evidently have something 
mixed-up if you can't find it!  
I remember it was in a cookbook, I don't remember the name, but it 
was all very old recipes, and it gave a little history of each. 

Again thank  you very much! 

Mary

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Subject: "New York Potatoes"
From: Diane
Date: 2/24/2019, 12:46 AM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com

Dear Uncle Phaedrus,

Regarding the request from Mary 10/23/18 http://hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m1023ta18.htm :

In The American Woman's Cookbook (earliest copyright 1938) on page 411 is a recipe 
for creamed potatoes.

Creamed Potatoes
2 cups diced cold cooked potatoes
1 1/2 cups medium white sauce
salt and pepper

Combine potatoes and white sauce and heat thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. 
Serves 6.

Or use milk instead of white sauce. Dice potatoes into skillet in which 2 tablespoons of 
butter have been melted. Season with salt and pepper and almost cover with milk. 
Simmer, uncovered until milk is absorbed, tilting pan occasionally and basting top of 
potatoes with milk.

This is very close to what you found and the only reason I'm sending you this is because 
on the facing page, 410, is a recipe for Saratoga Potatoes and that caught my attention. 
On the off-chance it's the same book that might account for the name (transposing)? 
This book does not have the history of each recipe, but they could be classified as 
'very old', I suppose, old being a relative thing.

It's an unlikely match but in any event I'm happy to tell you of the cookbook. 
My grandmother 'cooked from the hip' and only had one cookbook and this 
was it. Her copy, sadly, got caught up in family drama after she passed and 
I never saw it again. My very DH surprised me with a newer printing and I 
treasure it. You've probably got your own copy but in case you don't, it' a 
good one for 'old time recipes'.

How good of you to spend so much time helping people find their memories.

Best,

Diane