Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.
Ad Aves Hircosas Omni Genere (How to Prepare 'High' Birds of Any Kind)
Ad Aves Hircosas Omni Genere (How to Prepare 'High' Birds of Any Kind) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic method of preparing game birds that have been hung too long and have become 'high' (putrescent in smell) by boiling with aniseed and roasting with a highly-spiced sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: How to Prepare 'High' Birds of Any Kind (Ad Aves Hircosas Omni Genere).
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
90 minutes
Total Time:
110 minutes
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Sauce RecipesSpice RecipesFowl RecipesAncient Roman Recipes
Original Recipe
Ad aves hircosas omni genere: piper, ligusticum, thymum, mentam aridam, calvam, caryotam, mel, acetum, vinum, liquamen, oleum, defritum, sinape. avem sapidiorem et altiliorem facies et ei pinguedinem servabis, si eam farina oleo subacta contextam in furnum miseris.
Translation
How to Prepare 'High' Birds of Any Kind: [Mix] pepper, lovage, thyme, dried mint, hazelnuts, dates, honey, vinegar, wine, stock, oil, defritum and mustard. You can make the bird more savoury and more nourishing and keep all the fat in by wrapping in pastry made of oil and flour and baking in the oven.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 'high' bird or fowl
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp
aniseed
1 tsp freshly-ground
black pepper
1/2 tsp
lovage seeds (or celery seeds)
1 tsp dried thyme leaves, chopped
1 tsp dried mint
4 tbsp roasted hazelnuts, ground
4 tbsp dates, chopped
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp liquamen (fish sauce)
200ml game or chicken stock
120ml white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
Method:
Place the bird in a pan, cover with water and stir in the salt and aniseed. Bring to a boil, reduce to a brisk simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Pound together the black pepper, lovage (or celery) seeds, thyme leaves and mint in a mortar. Add the nuts and dates then pound to combine. Work in the honey, red wine vinegar and liquamen then moisten with the white wine. Turn the sauce into a saucepan and work in the chicken stock and olive oil. Bring to a boil and take off the heat.
When the fowl has boiled, take out of the pot and place in a roasting dish. Pour over the spiced sauce and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C. Roast the bird for about 60 minutes, or until done, basting frequently with the pan juices. Serve hot, with the pan juices poured over the bird.
Find more recipes from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria along with information on Apicius and his cookbook, all part of this site's Ancient Roman recipes collection.
%20Recipe)