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Liver Oxyrhynchus

Liver Oxyrhynchus is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for fried liver flavoured with coriander (cilantro). The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Liver Oxyrhynchus.

prep time

15 minutes

cook time

5 minutes

Total Time:

20 minutes

Serves:

4

Rating:

Tags : Herb RecipesBeef RecipesLamb RecipesAncient Roman Recipes

Original Recipe

Liver Oxyrhynchus (from the Oxyrhynchus Cook Book)

Oxyrhynchus is an ancient town on the banks of a Nile tributary some 160km south-southwest of Cairo. In ancient Egyptian times the town was known as Per-Medjed, though it did not become an important area until after the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. It was then re-established as a Greek town, called Oxyrhynchon Polis ("town of the sharp-nosed fish"). For the past century, the area around Oxyrhynchus has been continually excavated, yielding an enormous collection of papyrus texts from the Greek and Roman periods of Egyptian history. Among the texts discovered at Oxyrhynchus a number of recipe texts and the recipe given below is derived from one of these.

Translation

Cut up good liver, marinate in oil with salt, coriander, thyme, silphium, opos, vinegar; grill on a spit at high temperature; serve.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

250g lamb or calf's liver, sliced
60g plain white flour
handful of fresh coriander
1 tsp fresh thyme
small drop of asafoetida
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a blender purée the coriander leaves and fresh thyme with the olive oil, asafoetida and a pinch of salt until a smooth paste is formed. Meanwhile season the flour with salt and pepper.

Place about a third of the marinade on the livers, coat well and leave for an hour in the fridge. Then heat some olive oil in a pan, remove the excess marinade from the livers and roll them in the seasoned flour. Cook the liver at a high heat for about two minutes a side. Place the liver on the serving plates and spoon some of the remaining coriander purée spooned over them.

Drizzle over the vinegar and serve.