Crispy Potatoes à la Parisienne

Serves 4.

Also called Parisienne potatoes, this dish was fashionable throughout the Gilded Age, often served alongside filet of beef, beefsteak, chops or game, or even as a part of Christmas dinner. New York Cooking School founder Juliet Corson featured it as part of the “Fourth Lesson of the Ladies’ Course” in her 1883 Cooking School Text Book. From “The Gilded Age Cookbook” by Becky Libourel Diamond (Globe Pequot, 2023).

3 pounds waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 3/4 teaspoon, divided

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1/4 cup fresh minced parsley

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and peel the potatoes. Use a vegetable scoop or melon baller to cut ball-shaped pieces out of each potato that are about 1 inch in diameter, and place them in a large stockpot of water. (The remaining potato pieces can be placed in a container of cold water to prevent browning and used later to make mashed potatoes or add to soup.)

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the stockpot, and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, and set aside.

Place the butter and oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, remove from heat and add potatoes, turning them gently so they are coated on all sides. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt.

Place the skillet on the center rack of the oven, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and turn the potatoes so that they can brown on the other side. Return to the oven, and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, and transfer to a large serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Lady Cake

Serves 12 to 16.

Lady cake is a rich pound cake flavored with almonds and rosewater, made snowy white by using only egg whites. Its white color and delicate texture were considered so exquisite and elegant that it was often used as a wedding cake in the Gilded Age, frosted with pure white icing and decorated with white flowers. From “The Gilded Age Cookbook” by Becky Libourel Diamond.

6 egg whites

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 3/4 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 cups milk

1 tablespoon rosewater

2 teaspoons almond extract

Butter a 10-inch Bundt pan, dust the inside with flour, and set aside. Adjust the oven rack to the lower position, and heat to 350 degrees.

Place the egg whites in a large glass or stainless-steel bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed until soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes, then increase speed to medium and continue to beat until stiff, about another 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter on medium-high until very fluffy. Slowly add the sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture has a creamy texture.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, mixing between additions.

Add the rosewater and almond extract. Stir and scrape the batter down. Gently fold in the egg whites (best done by hand).

Spoon the cake batter into the Bundt pan, and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, and then run a sharp knife around the edge to loosen. Invert in a plate to cool completely.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with fresh fruit and/or whipped cream, or frost with egg white icing (see recipe).

Note: Icing should be used within a day. For those leery of using raw egg whites, you can substitute 1/4 cup meringue powder and 1/2 cup cold water for the egg whites.

2 egg whites, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon rosewater

Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl on low speed until they form soft peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium, and gradually add the sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add rosewater, and beat on medium-high speed for another 5 to 8 minutes or until the icing forms medium to stiff peaks.