Frontinianum Porcellum (Suckling Pig à la Fronto) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic dish of a whole suckling pig that's boned, marinated with wine, roasted in the oven, and served with a spiced wine and defritum sauce thickened with starch. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Suckling Pig à la Fronto (Frontinianum Porcellum).
Frontinianum porcellum: exossas, praeduras, ornas. adicies in caccabum liquamen, vinum, obligas fasciculum porri, anethi, media coctura mittes defritum. coctum levas et siccum mittes. piper asparges et inferes.
Translation
Suckling Pig à la Fronto: Bone, brown [in the oven] and prepare [the piglet]. On a pan put stock, wine and a bouquet garni of leeks and aniseed. [Cook the piglet in this] and when half done add defritum. When cooked, wash and dry [the pig]. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 whole suckling pig, boned
For the Marinade:
200ml red wine
350ml pork stock
3/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
3 tsp lovage seeds (or celery seeds)
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
For the Sauce:
1 leek, finely minced
1/4 tsp aniseed
360ml pork stock or chicken stock
100ml red wine
40ml defritum
1 tbsp cornflour blended to a slurry with 2 tbsp water (originally wheat starch [anmulum] would have been used)
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
For the marinade, pound together the black pepper, lovage seeds and coriander seeds in a mortar. Work in the red wine and stock. Arrange the boned piglet in a roasting tin and pour over the marinade. Turn the meat to coat evenly then refrigerate to marinade for at least 4 hours.
Whilst the piglet is marinating, prepare the sauce. Combine the leeks, aniseed, stock and red wine in a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes then take off the heat.
After this time, drain the meat and place back in the roasting tin then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 220°C and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C, pour over the sauce and continue roasting for 50 minutes per kg, or until the skin is crisp and the meat is thoroughly cooked (check that the meat juices run clear by piercing in the thickest part of the roast). When the meat is half done, pour over the defritum to colour the meat.
When cooked through, remove the piglet from the oven and allow to rest, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan and whisk in the cornflour slurry. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Serve the sauce to accompany the pork, which should be sprinkled with black pepper.
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