Harriet Anne de Salis

Ron Porter / Pixabay / 2015 / CC0 1.0

Harriet Anne de Salis was a prolific author of popular English cookbook and household management author at the end of the Victorian age — the “Gilded Age”, as some call it. She had clearly received some education, being comfortable in her writing with French and Latin. She often published under the name of Mrs de Salis.

Her books were not great exhaustive tomes in the league of Mrs Beeton, but neither were they pricey. They provided, as one reviewer noted about one of her books, good value for the price: “It [The Housewive’s Referee] does not pretend to deal with all the matters exhaustively — the volume is sold at the modest price of half-a-crown — but in its pages will be found much thoroughly useful and helpful information.” ^[1]New Books by Woman Writers. The Cheltenham Looker-On. 22 October 1898. Page 1006.

Despite the low prices, they were not aimed at the working-class, but rather at the middle-class and aspirational middle-class.

Very little has been written about de Salis’s life, personal, or professional. Part of the problem for researchers may be that she was “buried” under her husband’s last name as “Mrs. de Salis” which can make searches for her difficult. We are not aware of any photos or portraits of her, though there are of other people also with the name “Mrs de Salis.”

Early years

Harriet Anne de Salis was born in on 23rd January 1829 to Henry Bainbridge (1801- 1880 ) and Harriet Ann Burnett (1807 – 1886). At the time of her birth, her parents lived at 42 Devonshire Street, Marylebone, London. In the census of June 1841, when she was 12 years old, the family is shown living in Mayfair, London at 54 Grosvenor Street. As the addresses indicate to those familiar with London, she had a comfortable upbringing. ^[2] Worrall, Tim. Descendants of William SALIS. 20 August 2010. Retrieved September 2010 from http://www.timworrall.com/documents/WilliamSalis.pdf. Her father Henry worked for his brother Thomas’s bank, Puget and Bainbridge. John Puget’s brother, Peter Puget, was a surveyor of the North American Pacific west coast and named several places after Puget or Bainbridge.

On 11 April 1872, aged 43, she married William John (Fane?) Salis (aged 38, born 1834) at St George in Hanover Square. He was a Civil Service Clerk for the War Office in Pall Mall. By 1881, the couple were living at 73 Warwick Road in Kensington. The couple do not appear to have had any children. ^[3] Worrall, Tim. Descendants of William SALIS. Note that the last name appears indeed to have been just “Salis”; the “de” may have been something she added on as a flourish for her pen name.

73 Warwick Road, Kensington. De Salis house. Google maps.

Enters the world of writing

She appears to have been a woman of some enterprise. In November 1886, she applied for a patent for an invention: “Folding Watertight Commode.— H. A. de Salis, 73, Warwick Road, Earl’s Court, London. Application # 14839.” ^[4]Iron Weekly. London: 26 November 1886. Page 24.

In 1886, she published what appears to be the first book in what would become her “a la mode” series of cookery books”: Savouries a la mode, which also began her relationship with her publishers, Longman’s.

First book, Savouries a la mode, Mrs de Salis. St James’s Gazette, 18 March 1886, page 2.

A reviewer in the The Army and Navy Gazette thought the book would help officer’s wives keep up with the quality of the food served at clubs to their husbands:

“Savouries a la Mode. By Mrs. De Salis. (Longmans, Green, and Co.) — This most useful little book, containing over 200 excellent receipts easy to understand, some of which are real “nouveautés”, is much to be recommended to mess cooks and others, and officers’ wives will find in it the means of propitiating the fastidious appetites of husbands who are apt to compare the luxuries of a club breakfast with domestic fare, to the disadvantage of the latter.” ^[5]Reviews. The Army and Navy Gazette. 27 March 1886. Page 262.

A reviewer in the Pall Mall Gazette felt that her way with food descriptions made the mouth water:

“Mrs. de Salis … describes her dishes as if she loved them. It makes one’s mouth water to hear her give the final touch to a salad dressing with ‘an idea of cayenne and a rub of garlic.'” ^[6]New Books. Pall Mall Gazette. Wednesday, 5 May 1886. Page 5. Col. 2.

Her “a la mode” cookbooks were small in physical dimensions, thin, focussed on specific topics — and priced to sell at “⅙d” (i.e. “one and six”, 1 shilling and sixpence.) ^[7]A shilling was 1/20th of a pound. Six pence was half a shilling, there being 12 pence in a shilling. At the time of decimalization in 1971, a shilling became a 5 new pence coin. So, in 1971, one and six was worth 7 ½ new pence — about 15 cents in US dollars. They were a hit.

In the spring of 1887,  her follow-up cookbook, Entrées a la mode appeared:

“Quite a dainty little book is “Entrées a la Mode”, by Mrs. de Salis, authoress of ‘Savouries a la Mode.” The first-named work has just been published by Messr’s Longmans. Its price is only a shilling [Ed: newspaper advertisements for it give the price as actually 1 shilling and sixpence]; but I shall have the honour of laying out a good many shillings in having the pleasant little volume bound as daintily as it deserves. The recipes are not cumbrously numerous; and they are all marked by delicacy, good taste and thorough practicability. The authoress modestly says that she has collected her recipes both in England and France ‘from all the best schools of cookery, personal experiences, and cordons bleux’ (sic) — but why “bleus” with a ‘x’, Mrs. De Salis? As in ‘Savouries a la Mode’, many of the recipes, according to the lay, are entirely original.” ^[8] Echoes of the week column. Illustrated London News. Saturday, 30 April 1887. Page 480, Col. 1.

A reviewer in the Glasgow Herald questioned the intended audience:

“We do not….very easily recognize for whom these [recipes] are intended. The persons most likely to have entrées at table are usually able to keep a ‘professed cook’, who, in all probability, would scorn instructions from Mrs. De Salis, or any other writer.” ^[9]. Miscellaneous Books. Glasgow Herald. Wednesday, 01 June 1887. Page 10, Col. 8.

The Pall Mall Gazette, which had given ‘Savouries a la Mode’ a glowing review, was not as kind about ‘Entrées a la Mode’, and found many faults:

“Mrs. De Dalis has followed up the success she scored with ‘Savouries a la Mode’ by publishing a similar little volume of recipes for entrées. The subject is more difficult, and it cannot be said that ‘Entrées a la Mode’ (Longmans and Co.) is so safe a guide as its predecessor. It is indeed rich in good things, but it goes into the realm of high art in cookery and should have been, though it is not, free from the besetting sins of English cooking: vinegar and Harvey sauce. It is dreadful to think of Mayonnaise made by observing the direction, ‘every now and then add a teaspoonful of vinegar’, and though at times Harvey sauce may make a bad chop not uneatable, he or she must be a poor cook who cannot make a sauce piquante without it. The truth about vinegar is that it is made much too strong nowadays, and that water should be added to it, before taking out the quantities, to use an architect’s phrase. The best French white vinegar can be safely used with this precaution, but, undiluted, it is almost as strong as pure acetic acid. The old-fashioned brown vinegar is not so strong, but it has a nasty flavour. A book of entrées which does not contain the title ‘Kromeskys’ is certainly incomplete. A good recipe for them with wise directions would have been invaluable, for the thing is one of the best of entrées and is capable of considerable variety, but with it, as with poetry, music, painting and oratory, mediocrity is intolerable. Here and there the description a la Provencale occurs, and the recipe for cutlets in this manner is not bad, but what would Tartarin say to a Provencal dish without a touch of garlic? Perhaps the very mention of garlic would be against an English cookery book, but the prejudice must be conquered. A slight rub with a clove of garlic is undiscoverable, but it adds a mystic something which cannot be attained without it. Some of Mrs. de Salis’s recipes err in being too meaty: the subordination of vegetables to meat is another standing vice of English cooking. It is pleasant, however, to see that Mrs. de Salis insists strongly and frequently upon the use of herbs. Some day perhaps greengrocers will make a point of keeping plenty of fresh tarragon, chervil, and fennel.” ^[10]. Two Cookery Books. Pall Mall Gazette. Monday, 25 July 1887. Page 3, Col. 2.

By the fall of 1887, “Savouries a la mode” was in its 6th edition  and Entrées a la mode was already in its third edition. ^[11]Longman’s Ad in The Guardian. London. 16 November 1887. Page 19. By the summer of 1888, “Savouries” had reached its ninth edition: “Her “Savouries a La Mode” has reached the ninth edition.” ^[12]The Nonconformist And Independent. London. 26 July 1888. Page 701.

In 1888, she published a total of five books in that one year alone. Two of these were “Oysters a la mode” and “Soups and Dressed Fish A La Mode”.

An American reviewer in the Boston Globe said that American readers might like the novel ideas in “Oysters”:

“In a little book by Mrs. Harriet De Salis entitled “Oysters a la Mode,” one finds some English and French recipes for cooking oysters, many of which are so very different from our American ways that they may be acceptable to our housekeepers as novelties.” ^[13]Kincaid, Jean. the Ostrea Edulis in Season Again. Boston Daily Globe. 1 September 1889. Page 22.

A Scottish reviewer in The Dundee Courier and Argus felt that her audience for these books was not ordinary households:

Oysters a la Mode, or The Oyster, and Over 100 Ways of Cooking It, To Which Are Added A Few Recipes for Cooking All Kinds of Shellfish. By Mrs. De Salis. London: Longmans, Green, & Co. – In addition to the hundred methods of cooking this favourite bivalve, there is in this little volume a short introduction which will be sure to prove interesting to others than those who take pleasure in culinary pursuits. The following paragraph will serve to illustrate the information it contains: “A very singular circumstance, not generally known, is that the finest oysters we have in England and Ireland both come from a place with the same name, viz., from Burnham, Essex, in England, and from Burnham, County Clare, in Ireland. Of the deep sea oysters those that are unfed are the best, as their flavour is stronger and their flesh is firmer. Real lovers of oysters maintain that no oyster is worth eating till it is quite two years old. Their age is known by their shell, just the same as the age of a tree is known by its bark, or a fish by its scale, and the smaller the oyster the finer its flavour.”
_____
Soups and Dressed Fish A La Mode, by Mrs de Salis. London: Longmans, Green, and Co. The recipes in this book, like those contained in the companion volume by the same authoress, are clearly not intended for adoption n the homes of working men. For large households and for fashionable restaurants they will be found invaluable. The price of the little work is the same as that of the book on oysters — 1s 6 d.” ^[14]Literature. The Dundee Courier and Argus. Tuesday, 31 January 1888. Page 4, Col. 1

In the same year, 1888, she also published “Sweets and Supper Dishes a la Mode.” Again, it was s Scottish reviewer who pointed out that her audience was not a working-class one:
“Sweets and Supper Dishes a la Mode. By Mrs De Salis. (London — Longmans, Green, & Co.) — Like the four preceding volumes on culinary matters by the same lady, the present little work is evidently not intended for the working classes. The recipes, we are told in a short preface, have been compiled from all sources, and are varied now and again by an original conception. So far as a few practical tests can show, they are faultless; and wives and housekeepers cannot to better than add to their books on cookery this little tastefully-bound volume, which is offered at the small charge of eighteenpence.” ^[15]Literature. The Dundee Courier and Argus. Tuesday, Thursday, 8 March 1888. Page 4, Col. 1

A reviewer in The Graphic magazine noted her ingredients were not cheap:

“Four capital little books by Mrs. de Salis may be mentioned together: “Sweet, and Supper Dishes”, “Entrées”, “Oysters”, and “Soups and Dressed Fish” (Longmans). The recipes in these excellent books are not particularly cheap, but they are all first-rate, and many of them would not disappoint connoisseurs of la haute cuisine francaise.” ^[16]London, England: The Graphic. 5 May 1888. Page 495, Col. 2.

In 1889, she published two more books: “Cakes and Confections a la mode” and “Puddings and Pastry a la mode”:

“‘Cakes and Confections a la mode’ and ‘Puddings and Pastry a la mode’ are two more dainty little volumes which finish the ‘a la mode series’ of cookery books compiled by Mrs De Salis. The books in no way detract from the high position gained by preceding numbers among students of gastronomy. The recipes are excellent, many of them very old, but nevertheless dishes which figure conspicuously in all fashionable menus. The publishers are Longmans, Green, & Co., London and New York.” ^[17]Literature. The Dundee Courier and Argus. Friday, 15 March 1899. Page 6, Col. 1

Over the next ten years, she had a continuing string of successful publications with largely favourable newspaper reviews. She even ventured off the topic of food to cover how to arrange flowers, and how to care for dogs.

At one point, Harriet had a regular column in the monthly magazine “Ladies’ Realm.”

No food writer can resist for long taunts that s/he wouldn’t know how to cook on a budget, and Mrs de Salis was no exception. In 1890, answering criticisms perhaps that her books were out of touch with the labouring masses, produced a book to answer that charge, “Tempting Dishes for Small Incomes.”

The Leeds Mercury noted her change in audience:

“Mrs. De Salis is, in her own way, a public benefactor, even though her services are rather of the humble than the heroic order. We should not like to say how many cookery and other household books, big and little, she has written, much less to hazard a guess at the number of editions into which the most popular of them has run. Her latest venture in this direction, ‘Tempting Dishes for Small Incomes’, is intended for the ‘masses’ rather than the ‘classes’, and is full accordingly of attractive recipes which do not make excessive demands on the strictly limited resources of a slender purse. The seventeen ‘Hints to Cooks’ deserve to be framed and glazed in every kitchen, and if they were followed the pangs of dyspepsia might often be avoided, as well as much unseemly bickering across the table over dishes the reverse of tempting.” ^[18] Literary Arrivals. Leeds Mercury. Monday, 25 August 1890. Page 8, Col. 2

The book got very good reviews on other fronts as well:

“Tempting Dishes for Small Incomes, by Mrs DE SALIS (Longmans), is a useful and cheap little cookery book, giving briefly a few relishing inexpensive recipes within the scope of a plain cook or general servant. Mrs. De Salis is well known for her numerous books on cookery, and one more suited to middle class families, will specially be welcomed.” ^[19]Nonconformist And Independent. London. 18 September 1890. Page 8.

One reviewer called her writing “concise and expressive”:

“Tempting Dishes for Small Incomes. By Mrs. DE SALIS (London: Longmans, Green & Co.) ABOUT a dozen books of a similar description to this have been written by Mrs. de Salis. They are uniformly sensible and direct in teaching doctrines of economy and taste in household management. The little volume under notice should be heartily welcomed by many a housewife, young and old, experienced and inexperienced. The descriptions of tempting dishes are concise and expressive.” ^[20]Colonies and India. London. 20 August 1890. Page 27.

A reviewer in Punch Magazine gave details of some of the recipes:

“Talking of materialistic, let us,” quoth the Baron, “be grateful to Mrs. DE SALIS for a bookful of ‘Tempting Dishes for Small Incomes,’ published by LONGMANS & Co.” First of all get your small income, then purchase this book, for eighteenpence, or less with discount; or (a shorter and a cheaper way) borrow it from a friend. Let the Small Incomer cast his watery eye over Lobster cutlets, p. 19, and Lobster pancakes: let him reduce his small income to something still smaller in order to treat himself and family to a Rumpsteak à la bonne bouche, a Sausage pudding, and a Tomato curry. The sign over a Small-Income House is the picture of a Sheep’s Head, usually despised as sheepish: but go to p. 28, and have a tête-à-tête (de mouton) with Mrs. DE SALIS about Sheep’s head au Gratin.

Rabbit batter pudding, eh? with shalot à discrétion. How’s that for high? Let the Small Incomer get some dariole tins, mushrooms, chives, rabbits, tripe, onions, oil, ducks, eggs, and with egg kromeskies he’ll dine like a millionnaire, and be able to appreciate a real epigram of Lamb (not CHARLES) and Peas. Don’t let the Man with a Small Income be afraid of trying Un Fritot de Cervelle de Veau, simply because of the name, which might do honour to the menu of a LUCULLUS. “Blanch the Brains” for this dish—delicious!—”and fry till a nice golden colour.” Beautiful! Nice golden colour like dear BLANCHE’s hair: only often that’s a BLANCHE without brains. And now your attention, my Small Incomer, to Eggs à la Bonne Femme. This work ought to be arranged as a catechism: in fact all cookery books, all receipt books, should be in the form of Question and Answer.

Question.—Now, Sir, how would you do Eggs à la Bonne Femme?

Perhaps this query might be preceded by general information as to who the particular “bonne femme” (for she must have been a very particular bonne femme) was to whom so many dishes are dedicated. [In the Scotch McCookery books, Broth o’ the gude-wife would be a national name.]

Answer.—To make Eggs à la Bonne Femme, Mrs. DE SALIS says, “Get as many eggs as there are guests (they should all be the same size)—” Now this is a difficulty. It is not an easy matter to assemble round your table a party of guests “all the same size:” Still more difficult is it to get together a lot of eggs all the same size as the guests. But, when this has been got over, read the remainder at p. 55, and then, as Squeers’s pupils used to have to do, go and reduce the teaching to practice.

The receipt for Potatoes à la Lyonnaise begins with, “Mince an onion, and fry it in hot butter”—O rare! Why do more? Who wants potatoes after this? And, when you’ve had quite enough of it, smoke a pipe, drink a glass of whiskey-and-water, go to an evening party, and then, if you won’t be one of the most remarkable advertisements for cette bonne femme Madame DE SALIS, why I don’t live in Baronion Halls, and my name’s no longer THE BARON DE BOOK-WORMS” ^[21]Punch, 6 September 1890.

In 1891 her book on drinks came out, as well as one on flower arranging:

“Books by Mrs de Salis. — We have before us two new works by Mrs de Salis, both published by Messrs Longmans, Green and Co. ‘Drinks a la Mode’ is a seasonable volume, for it contains an immense number of capital recipes for cool summer beverages. Temperance people and others who respect their constitutions will fight shy of the Translatlantic decoctions with their terrible names — the Eye Opener, Brandy Smash, Corpse Reviver, and the rest — but there are directions in plenty for draughts that may be quaffed without danger to health or principles. The chapters on Cooling and and Invalid Drinks are particularly useful. Mrs de Salis in her second volume discusses ‘Floral Decorations a la Mode’……” ^[22]The Queen. 8 August 1891. Page 248, Col 2.

The British census on 5 April 1891 showed Harriet and John as having moved from London to the country: a house named Hampton Lea on Langley Park Road, Sutton, Surrey. In her 1895 book, Gardening a la mode, she talks in its preface about this move: “When we came to live in the country we were such Cockneys, we knew absolutely nothing of gardening; and, as we had to make our garden, which was only a field, and could not afford an experienced gardener, we set to work to learn the art. We bought various books, and took in weekly periodicals on the subject, and experimented on the advice therein contained until we found out for ourselves what succeeded best; and I am proud to say our experiments have been crowned with success.”

In 1897, she switched publishers, to Hutchinson, for the publication of her book “The Art of Cookery Past and Present.”

“Mrs. de Salis, who has previously published all her works through Messrs. Longmans, announces a new volume to be issued by Messrs. Hutchinson, under the title of “The Art of Cookery, Past and Present.” ^[23]Booksellers Review. London. 2 December 1897. Page 3.”

Her survey of Greek, Roman, and golden age French gourmands may have provided much-needed intellectual relief for her after years of catering to the practical, but it received bad reviews in some quarters for doing just that — moving beyond the applied and practical.

“Two new cookery books have suddenly been thrust at the booksellers, and we naturally question ourselves as to the necessity of their being published. We did not desire them, and neither do the public, so far as we know their taste. There is a class who will always take kindly to a cookery book if it contains a few novel recipes; but the “Household Oracle,” by Mr. A. H. Miles, does not profess to tell us anything new either on cookery or household management. Mrs. De Salis’ book on “The Art of Cookery” is all about antediluvian cookery, which is not in the least degree helpful to Sarah Jane, our cook downstairs.” ^[24]News from the Book World column. In “Booksellers Review”. London. 23 December 1897. Page 476.

“The Art of Cookery, by Mrs. de Salis (Hutchinson), appears to be intended as a sort of anecdotic survey of the subject in past/and present times, and to have been printed from rough proofs. We read that “the cook in Plautus is called ‘ Homenum Servatorum,’ or “the preserver of mankind,” and that among “celebrated ancient cooks” were Lamprins, Aphlhonelus, and Ealhunus, “who are often named by ancient authors.” We read, too, of Fabius Milo Apecius, of Lucallus, and of the reign of Trojan. Turning to modern times we make acquaintance with Tallyrand and Hadyn the composer. As to the matter of the book, many will doubtless be interested to learn that the Queen of Italy is fond of cakes fried in oil, and that “our own dear Queen loves porridge;” and such and other equally valuable lore it offers in abundance.” ^[25]Guardian. 13 April 1898. Page 562.

In 1898 book, “The Housewife’s Referee”, returned to basics, and got better reviews:

“THE HOUSEWIFE’S REFEREE.” Housewife’s Referee,” by Mrs. De Salis is a treatise on culinary and household subjects ” (Hutchinson). As an instance of the ignorance of so many gentlewomen of the cuisine, Mrs. De Salis says : “I was present at a lecture a short time since at one of the recent cookery exhibitions where Miss Young was teaching pastry-making, when a lady among the audience asked, “Must we put our bare hands into the dough ? ” Certainly,” replied the teacher, “you cannot make it otherwise.” “Oh, then,” remarked the questioner, “perhaps that is the reason why I failed when I made my last tart; my gloves did seem in the way.” The work contains a great many useful household hints, as well as a large number of recipes.” ^[26]Westminster Budget. London. 30 September 1898. Page 22.

The last book by her that CooksInfo.com is aware of was published in 1899, “Cakes & confections a la mode.” She was 70 years old at the time.

Mrs de Salis Hoe Sauce Endorsement. The Manchester Evening News. Friday, 22 December 1899. Page 2, Col 6.

Final years

In 1903, she possibly sojourned at the military and naval base of Gun Wharf, Chatham, Kent, where correspondence was directed to her. ^[27]Envelope addressed to Mrs. De Salis, HM Gun Wharf, Chatham posted from Hosakote, Mysore, India 15 June 1903 and backstamped Chatham 6 July 1903. p.55 (U). Medway County Council Archives. DE0402 Couchman ephemera and MSS/DE0402_14.

William Salis died in the second quarter of 1904 in Epsom, Surrey. Harriet died of carcinoma of the stomach and cerebral thrombosis on 18 April 1908, also in Epsom, Surrey. [Ed: the home address for both was listed as Hampton Lea, Sutton — for a while, Sutton was grouped in with the more famous Epsom to the west of it.] ^[28]Worrall, Tim. Descendants of William SALIS Present at her death was Grace Sherson (born 1857), whose brother, Erroll, wrote “London’s lost theatres of the nineteenth century” in 1925.

Food and Household Books by Harriet Anne de Salis

• 1873. Kissing; its origin and species. By A Disciple.
• 1886. Savouries a la mode
• 1887. Entrées a la mode
• 1888. Dressed Game and Poultry A La Mode (link valid as of Sept 2019)
• 1888. Soups and dressed fish a la mode
• 1888. Oysters a la mode
• 1888. Dressed vegetables a la mode
• 1888. Sweets & supper dishes a la mode
• 1889. Cakes and Confections a la mode
• 1889. Puddings and Pastry a la mode
• 1890. Tempting Dishes for Small Incomes
• 1890. Wrinkles and Notations for Every Household
• 1891. Floral Decoration a la Mode
• 1891. Drinks a la mode
• 1892. New-laid eggs; hints for amateur poultry-rearers
• 1893. Puddings & Pastry a la mode
• 1893. Dogs: A Manual for Amateurs
• 1895. National viands a la mode
• 1895. Gardening a la mode.
• 1897. The Art of Cookery Past and Present
• 1898. The housewife’s referee: A treatise on culinary and household subjects
• 1899. Cakes & confections a la mode

Here is a list of Mrs de Salis books advertised as gift suggestions for Christmas 1898, with each costing just 1 shilling and sixpence.

The Penrith Observer. Tuesday, 6 December 1898.

Literature & Lore

A writer in the London Temperance Caterer provided readers with the following recipes from Mrs de Salis:

“I, therefore, place before you the following recipes from the inventive and tasteful mind of Mrs. De Salis :—

Gaspacho (Salad).—Peel and slice a few tomatoes, two onions, and a cucumber, add red pepper, a little parsley, and chervil cut small. Prepare some fine breadcrumbs, about double in quantity to the other ingredients, and mix with it a couple of cloves of garlic chopped fine, or breadcrumbs rubbed with garlic instead. Season to taste as for an ordinary salad with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, adding as much cold water as made required to make a thick soup.

Fried Celery.—Take two heads of celery, a seasoning of salt and pepper, a dessert-spoonful of lemon juice, a breakfast-cupful of light, rich, frying batter, plenty of good beef dripping and some sprigs of crisp, fried parley; clean, trim, and, boil the celery till tender, drain, and when quite cold, cut the sticks into 3 in. lengths ; season those with the salt, pepper, and lemon juice, dip in the batter and fry a light golden brown in the boiling fat. Drain very carefully for a minute or two, then when crisp, hot and dry, pile up tastefully, garnish with the parsley, and serve at once.

Mushroom Soup.—Cut some leg of veal in rather large pieces, and break the bones; allow to each pound a little less than a quart of milk. Season with pepper, silt, and a pinch of cruetteen [Ed: sic.] Boil until the meat falls to pieces, then strain into the soup-pot. Have ready a quart of mushrooms, peeled, and the stems removed, and put them into the soup, adding ¼ lb of butter in bits, and each bit rolled into flour; boil until the mushrooms are tender, and keep closely covered. Have some fried croutons the size of very small dice, put them in the tureen, and pour the soup over them.

Mushrooms de la Gourmet.—-Chop up some small mushrooms with about half the quantity of lean ham and some bacon, fat, chopped fine; season with pepper, salt, and chopped thyme. Fry them lightly for a few minutes, then mix in the yolks of two or three eggs according to the quantity. Choose large mushrooms, cut off the stalks, skin and trim the edges, and fill each one with the above preparation; shake over some raspings of bread, and spread a fire-proof flat dish with butter, lay the mushrooms in it, put in a very hot oven for a quarter of an hour and serve quickly.” — About Cooking and Catering. Temperance Caterer. London. 11 April 1891. Page 7.

Further reading

Harriet’s house, Hampton Lea, had several connections with famous people. See this blog entry: Hampton Lea (link valid as of September 2019)