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Phoenicoptero (Of Flamingo)

Phoenicoptero (Of Flamingo) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic dish of boiled flamingo or parrot served with a spiced stock that can be made with any fowl that has a tendency to dry on cooking (pheasant, partridge, grouse etc). The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Of Flamingo (Phoenicoptero).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

65 minutes

Total Time:

85 minutes

Serves:

4

Rating:

Tags : Sauce RecipesSpice RecipesFowl RecipesAncient Roman Recipes

Original Recipe

Phoenicoptero (from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria) VI, vi, 1

<Phoenicoptero:> Phoenicopterum eliberas, lavas, ornas, includis in caccabum, adicies aquam, salem, anethum et aceti modicum. dimidia coctura alligas fasciculum porri et coriandri, ut coquatur. prope cocturam defritum mittis, coloras. adicies in mortarium piper, cuminum, coriandrum, laseris radicem, mentam, rutam, fricabis, suffundis acetum, adicies caryotam, ius de suo sibi perfundis. reexinanies in eundem caccabum, amulo obligas, ius perfundis et inferes. idem facies et in psittaco.

Translation

[Of Flamingo:] Pluck the flamingo, wash, dress and place in a pan. Add water, salt, aniseed and a little vinegar. When half done make a bouquet of chives and coriander and cook [with the bird]. When nearly done add defrutum to give it colour. [For the sauce] put into a mortar pepper, cumin, coriander, laser root, mint and rue. Bruise [together] and pour [over] vinegar, add dates and some of the pan liquor. Put this [mixture] in the same pan [as the flamingo] and thicken with starch. [Arrange the bird on a serving dish] pour over the sauce and serve.

Modern Redaction

Rather than being a common dish, flamingo was more something spectacular, intended to demonstrate overt wealth to your guests. This recipes, however, is intended to maintain the succulence of a bird that tends to dry out on cooking and it can be used with other game birds with little fat covering, such as pheasants, grouse, partridge, duck etc). I used a wild duck here.

Ingredients:

1 oven-ready pheasant, grouse or wild duck
1 tsp salt
1 tsp aniseed
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
bouquet garni of chives and coriander tied in a leek laf
60ml defritum

For the Sauce:
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 tsp grund cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp rue (or rosemary)
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp dates, chopped
250ml stock from boiling the fowl
2 tsp cornflour (originally wheat starch (amulum) would have been used)

Method:

Place the pheasant or grouse in a large pot, cover with plenty of water then add the salt, aniseed and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce to a brisk simmer and cook for about 30 minutes then add the bouquet garni and cook for 30 minutes more. About 20 minutes before then end of the cooking time add the defrutum.

In the meantime, pound together the black pepper, cumin, coriander, asafoetida, mint and rue in a mortar. Work in the white wine vinegar and dates then moisten with the stock from boiling the fowl. Turn the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Arrange the birds in a roasting tin, pour ver the sauce then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200°C and roast for about 15 minutes, to colour. During this time, thicken the sauce with cornflour.

When done, arrange the game fowls on a serving dish, pour over the sauce 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.