Victorian Stewed Potatoes
A historical recipe that still tastes amazing.
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The past is full of amazing comforting foods, like this recipe for Victorian Stewed Potatoes. This recipe has you cooking the potatoes in one pot, removing the mess that often comes with saucy comfort foods that require a million pots and pans. The simple list of ingredients highlights the flavors of the potatoes in the most delightful way.
When one thinks of Victorian foods, we think of uptight frilly vegetables and meats suspended in gelatin and heavy bland roasted meats requiring laborious hours of cooking. Yet these Victorian Stewed Potatoes are a breath of fresh air, going against the common stereotypes of the era. Cubed potatoes are cooked until tender and then stewed in milk, which further amplifies their creaminess without the labor of mashing them. A roux-based cream sauce is made in the same way and tossed with the stewed potatoes, showing that the love of spuds goes back far into history.
This recipe hails from the 1889 cookbook entitled Aunt Babette’s Cookbook. The book features a variety of recipes, including a lot from the Ashkenazi community from Eastern Europe, who would’ve been immigrating to the US at the time. The recipe for stewed potatoes sounds unassuming, but as you read the recipe, you know it’s heavenly carby comfort food in a pot.
Once the potatoes are fork-tender, drain the water and add in half of the milk. Allow the potatoes to mingle and marry with the milk, which will enhance the natural creamy rich qualities of the spud.
As the stewed potatoes are resting in a bowl, work on the sauce. While the recipe says to add everything into the pot at the same time, this modern adaptation leads to a consistently smooth sauce with no unpleasant lumps of flour.
After the roux is made and whisked, gradually add the milk. Finally, add half of the fresh parsley. Pour the stewed potatoes back into the sauce, tossing with salt and pepper before serving.
The simple garnish of parsley does nothing to hide the fact that these potatoes are divinely decadent.
These Victorian Stewed Potatoes don’t have a brick of butter to make them decadent like in today’s potato recipes. The milk and cream sauce are what make this potato recipe a true comfort food. The neutral, mild seasoning of the potatoes makes them an incredibly versatile side dish for any occasion.
The best part? They have the creaminess of mashed potatoes, minus the annoying mashing! A win-win!
Victorian Stewed Potatoes
Yield(s): Serves about 4 to 6
15m prep time
1h cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into even cubes
- 2 cups whole milk, room temperature and divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped and divided
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large stock pot filled with cold water add prepped potatoes and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a rolling boil, cooking until the potatoes are fork-tender, drain.
- Pour the potatoes back into the stock pot along with 1 cup milk and half of the parsley. Stew the potatoes with the milk and parsley for 5 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom. Pour the stewed potatoes into a bowl, set aside.
- In the same pot melt butter and whisk in flour, creating a roux, whisk for 3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Gradually add remaining milk and half of the parsley, whisking until the sauce thickens.
- Add in potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with remaining parsley and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Aunt Babette's Cookbook.