Dr. KITCHINER'S BROTH – OR IS IT?

In March, we carried a piece on Catherine Salt's cookery lessons and asked if readers had any information about Dr Kitchiner's Broth, which featured there. Harry Sheard of Leeds has sent us a recipe for Dr William Kitchiner's Spring Soup, which he found in a book called The Victorian Kitchen: Rhubarb, onion, carrot and ham, all stewed tender, were strained  through a tamis, which was a piece of thick cloth pulled tight.

Our own investigations reveal that the good doctor's most famous book (and it was very well known in the 19th century) The Cooks Oracle, contains recipes for Beef Broth, Veal Broth and (take your pick as to which Catherine was cooking) Mock Mutton Broth, Without Meat, In Five Minutes: "Boil a few leaves of parsley with two tea-spoonsful of Mushroom Catchup, in three quarters of a pint of very thin Gruel. Season with a little salt."

As well as being a respected gourmet, Dr K, an optician,  invented his own  telescope.