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Alicam vel sucum tisanae (Spelt or Barley Gruel)
Alicam vel sucum tisanae (Spelt or Barley Gruel) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a gruel of spelt and pork knuckle in a herbed sauce with liquamen and defrutum. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Spelt or Barley Gruel (Alicam vel sucum tisanae).
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
75 minutes
Total Time:
95 minutes
Serves:
2
Rating: 
Tags : Spice RecipesAncient Roman Recipes
Original Recipe
Alicam vel sucum tisanae sic facies: tisanam vel alicam lavando fricas, quam ante diem infundis. imponis supra ignem. [vel dum] cum bullierit, mittis olei satis et anethi modicum fasciculum, cepam siccam, satureiam et coloefium, ut ibi coquantur propter sucum. mittis coriandrum viridem et salem simul tritum et facies ut ferveat. cum bene ferbuerit, tollis fasciculum et transferes in alterum caccabum tisanam sic, ne fundum tangat propter combusturam. lias bene et colas in caccabo super acronem coloefium. teres piper, ligusticum, pulei aridi modicum, cuminum, silfi frictum [ut bene tegatur]. suffundis mel, acetum, defritum, liquamen, refundis in caccabum super coloefium acronem ‹ut bene tegatur›. facies ut ferveat super ignem lentum.
Translation
Spelt or Barley Soup: Soak the grain or barley in water for 24 hours then rinse and hull it. Put [in a pan] over a hot fire, bring to a boil and add sufficient oil, a bouquet garni of anise, dry onion, savory and a pig's knuckle and allow to cook with the barley for flavour. Add fresh coriander and powdered salt and when it has cooked thoroughly remove the bouquet of anise and transfer the barley into another cooking vessel, so that the barley is not scorched by the bottom of the pan. Cream until smooth and strain into a pan over the pig's knuckle. Pound pepper, lovage, a little dried pennyroyal, cumin, and ground silphium. Moisten with honey, vinegar, defritum and liquamen and pour into the pan over the pork knuckle. Cook over a slow fire.
Ingredients:
225g spelt gains
4 tbsp olive oil
4 sprigs anise
4 sprigs savoury
6 pieces of dried onion
1 pig's knuckle
25g (1 bunch) coriander (cilantro)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/4 tsp pennyroyal (or peppermint)
1//4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp defrutum
6 tbsp liquamen (fish sauce)
Method:
Soak the spelt grains over night. The following day, drain the grains, place in a pot and cover by 3cm (1 in) with water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. At this point tie together the anise and savoury, add to the pot with the onion and pig's knuckle. Top up the water to cover the knuckle, bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for 40 minutes, until the pork is tender.
Add the coriander (cilantro) and salt and cook for 10 minutes more. At this point remove and discard the bouquet garni and transfer the pork knuckle to a plait. Transfer the spelt (and cooking liquid) to a fresh pot and cream by beating for 5 minutes. Pound together the black pepper, pennyroyal (or peppermint), cumin seeds and asafoetida to a paste. Add this to the pot along with the honey, vinegar, defrutum and fish sauce. Return the pork knuckle to the pot then cook gently until thickened.
Remove the knuckle and shred any meat from the bone. Place this in a warmed serving bowl, pour over the thickened spelt mixture and serve.
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