Olusatra (Alexanders with Raisin Sauce)

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Olusatra (Alexanders with Raisin Sauce)

Olusatra (Alexanders with Raisin Sauce) is a traditional Ancient Roman purée of boiled celery with raisins soaked in red wine vinegar served as a main course accompaniment. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Olusatra.

prep time

10 minutes

cook time

15 minutes

Total Time:

25 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Wild Food Beef Recipes Vegetable Recipes Ancient Roman Recipes

Original Recipe

Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (4 CE to circa 70CE) was a Roman writer on agriculture, who after a career in the army (as a tribune in Syria c. 35CE) took-up farming. He is best known for his twelve-volume de Re Rustica (On Argiculutre) which has been completely preserved.

Olusatra (from Columella's de Re Rustica)

Translation

Carefully clean the alexanders so that it does not have any soil on it. Put it in vinegar and salt. After 30 days take out and peel off and throw away the skin. Chop up the inner part and put into a glass jar or a new earthenware pot and add a liquid, which should be made as detailed below. Take mint, raisins, and a small dried onion. Puree these with some parched meal and a little honey. When these have been properly pureed, combine with one part of sapa or defritum and one part of vinegar. Pour this into the jar and seal with a lid.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1 head of celery (or wild alexanders if you have them)
100g raisins
660ml red wine vinegar
60ml sapa (or defritum)
1 tbsp clear honey
2 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp spelt flour (spelt is a forerunner of modern wheat with a nutty flavour. An equivalent would be half wheat and half ground almonds)
sea salt to taste

Method:

First soak the raisins in a combination of the sapa and vinegar for at least an hour, until they plump up.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop the celery. Place in a steamer and steam until tender. Drain and pour into a blender. Add the raisins and soaking liquor and blend until smooth. Season with sea salt and serve.