Patellam tyrotaricham ex quocumque salso volueris (A Dish of Cheese and Whichever Salt Fish you Wish)

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Patellam tyrotaricham ex quocumque salso volueris (A Dish of Cheese and Whichever Salt Fish you Wish)

Patellam Tyrotaricham ex Quocumque Salso Volueris (A Dish of Cheese and Whichever Salt Fish you Wish) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic dish of cooked salt fish, brains, hard-boiled eggs and cheese cooked in a spiced wine, mulsum and olive oil sauce thickened with eggs. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: A Dish of Cheese and Whichever Salt Fish you Wish (Patellam Tyrotaricham ex Quocumque Salso Volueris).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

35 minutes

Total Time:

55 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Chicken Recipes Cheese Recipes Baking Recipes Ancient Roman Recipes

Original Recipe

Patellam Tyrotaricham ex Quocumque Salso Volueris (from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria) IV, ii, 17

Patellam tyrotaricham ex quocumque salso volueris: coques ex oleo, exossabis. et cerebella cocta, pulpas piscium, iocuscula pullorum, ova dura, caseum mollem excaldatum, haec omnia calefacies in patella. teres piper, ligusticum, origanum, rutae bacam, vinum, mulsum, oleum. patellam ad lentum ignem pones ut coquatur. ovis crudis obligabis, adordinabis, cuminum minutum asparges et inferes.

Translation

A Dish of Cheese and Whichever Salt Fish you Wish: Cook in olive oil and remove the bones. Take cooked brains, the boned fish, chicken livers, hard-boiled eggs, soft cheese washed in warm water [combine in a shallow pan] and heat. Now pound pepper, lovage, oregano, rue berries, wine, mulsum, and oil, put in the pan and allow to cook gently over a low fire. Bind with raw eggs, garnish, sprinkle with finely-ground cumin and serve.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

350g salt fish — (for preparing your own, see the recipe on how to prepare saltfish/stockfish)
200g cooked calf's brains (or tinned corned beef), chopped
200g chicken livers, chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
200g feta cheese, crumbled

For the Sauce:
1/8 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 tsp lovage seeds (or celery seeds)
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
2 rue berries (or allspice) berries
1 tbsp honey
60ml white wine
2 tsp olive oil
250ml fish stock
2 egg yolks
butter
ground cumin, to garnish

Method:

Soak the salt fish over night in a large bowl of water. The following morning, drain the fish then place in a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes, drain, then fry in olive oil until tender and lightly browned.

Flake the fish flesh, removing any bones. Place in a pan then add the calf's brains (or corned beef), chicken livers, hard-boiled eggs and cheese (the cheese may be best if soaked in vinegar and thyme to reduce the saltiness).

In the meantime, pound together the pepper, lovage (or celery) seeds, oregano and rue (or allspice) berries in a mortar. Work in the honey, wine and olive oil then turn into a pan with the stock and bring to a simmer. Beat the egg yolks in a bowl, add a ladleful of the stock to temper the eggs then turn the mixture into the pan with the stock. Combine the resultant sauce with the meat mixture and turn into a well-buttered baking dish.

Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 25 minutes. Garnish with a sprinkling of ground cumin and serve.
Find more recipes from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria along with information on Apicius and his cookbook, all part of this site's Ancient Roman recipes collection.