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Milk Potatoes

The Story

This dish is deceptively simple, but it represents a high level of "kitchen craft." It's easy to boil a potato. It's much harder to make it delicious with almost nothing. This recipe doesn't just *cook* the potatoes; it transforms them in a two-step process.

First, the potatoes are fried with onion, building a deep, savory flavor (the Maillard reaction). *Then*, milk is added to simmer, which simultaneously finishes cooking the potatoes and creates its own rich, creamy sauce. This isn't just "potatoes in milk"—it's a deliberate *process* to create the highest possible value from the humblest ingredients.

The Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4-5 medium potatoes, sliced thin
  • 1 onion, sliced thin
  • 2 Tbsp. lard, bacon fat, or butter
  • Salt and pepper
  • ~2 cups milk (enough to *just* cover the potatoes)

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet with a lid, melt the fat over medium heat.
  2. Add the sliced potatoes and onions. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just starting to get golden brown and are *almost* cooked through (about 10-15 minutes).
  3. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  4. Pour the milk over the potatoes and onions in the skillet.
  5. Bring to a simmer (do not boil), then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it gently bubble for another 5-10 minutes.
  6. The milk will reduce, and the starch from the potatoes will thicken it into a cream sauce. Serve hot.

The Economic Lesson

Principle: Human dignity is expressed through craft. *Process* is what creates value.

The ingredients (potatoes, milk, onion) are commodities. They have a base value. The *process* (frying *then* simmering) is what makes them valuable. This is a lesson in "human capital." Your raw time is a commodity. Your *process*—your skill, your craft, your unique way of doing things—is what makes your time valuable.

A centralized system wants to turn you into a commodity: a cog that just "boils the potatoes." A system of freedom, built on human dignity, encourages you to be a craftsman: to develop a *process* that creates value no one else can. This is the source of all real economic growth, and it is a power given to every individual, not to any government.

Learn more at The Trading Post →