“The curtains were drawn across the windows, and clusters of candles in graceful silver holders were arranged on the table, shedding a warm light on to the white damask and the shining covers. The footmen presented a fish, and my lord permitted a little to be put on his plate. The butler desired to know if Mr. Carr would drink claret or burgundy, or ale? Mr. Carr would drink claret. A sirloin of beef next made its appearance, and went away considerably smaller. Then before my lord was spread an array of dishes. Partridges flanked one end, a pasty stood next, a cream, two chickens, a duck, and a ham of noble proportions.”
A cook of roughly the same moment, setting down the same dish.
¼ cup butter 2½ tablespoons flour 2 cups milk Yolks 4 “hard-boiled” eggs 1 teaspoon Anchovy essence 2 cups cold boiled flaked fish Make a sauce of butter, flour, and milk. Mash yolks of eggs and mix with Anchovy essence, add to sauce, then add fish. Serve as soon as heated. Serve on pieces of toasted Graham bread.
Sources: The passage is from Georgette Heyer, The Black Moth: A Romance of the XVIIIth Century, free to read in full at Project Gutenberg. The recipe is from Farmer, The Boston cooking-school cook book of 1896, also free in full. Both are in the public domain in the United States. The binding above is ours — plum cloth, grapes stamp.