Aliter Rapas (Vegetable Purée with Alexanders)

Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.

Aliter Rapas (Vegetable Purée with Alexanders)

Holus Molle ex Holisatro (Vegetable Purée with Alexanders) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic dish of cooked greens with alexanders served in a spiced white wine, stock and onion sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Vegetable Purée with Alexanders (Holus Molle ex Holisatro).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

25 minutes

Total Time:

45 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Sauce Recipes Spice Recipes Vegetable Recipes Ancient Roman Recipes

Original Recipe

Holus Molle ex Holisatro (from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria) III, xv, 1

Holus molle ex holisatro: coctum ex aqua nitrata expressum concides minutum, et teres piper, ligusticum, satureiam siccam cum cepa sicca, liquamen, oleum et vinum.

Translation

Vegetable Purée with Alexanders: Cook them in water with soda. Press out any [excess] water and chop very finely. [Dress with a] mix of pepper, lovage, dried savory, dried onions, stock, oil and wine.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

250g greens (cabbage, broccoli, spinach, etc), chopped
100g alexanders or celery, chopped

For the Sauce:
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
2 tsp lovage seeds (or 2 tsp celery seeds)
1/2 tsp dried savory
2 tbsp onion, chopped
100ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp fish sauce
80ml white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
cornflour to thicken (originally wheat starch (amulum) would have been used)

Method:

Add the greens and alexanders (or celery) to a pan, pour in about 200ml water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until very tender. Drain and squeeze out the excess moisture then chop very finely and purée by pounding in a mortar.

For the sauce, combine the black pepper, lovage seeds (or celery seeds), savory and onion in a mortar. Pound to combine then mix in a little of the vegetable stock. Turn the mixture into a pan then combine with the fish sauce, white wine and olive oil. Bring to a boil then whisk in the cornflour. Continue cooking until thickened then arrange the cooking greens in a serving dish, pour over the sauce and serve.
Find more recipes from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria, part of this site's Ancient Roman recipes collection.