Isicia Plena (Pheasant Forcemeat) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic forcemeat dumpling made from pheasant meat pounded to a paste and bound with egg that's cooked in water flavoured with fish sauce before serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Pheasant Forcemeat (Isicia Plena).
Isicia plena: accipies adipes fasiani recentes, praeduras et facis ex eo tessellas. cum pipere, liquamine, caroeno in isicio includes, ex hydrogaro coques et inferes.
Translation
Pheasant Forcemeat: Take the fat of freshly-killed pheasants, brown [the meat] and cut into dice. [Mix these] with pepper, stock, and caroenum. Shape each one into a dumpling and poach in fish-sauce mixed with water.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
300g cooked pheasant meat
3/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
2 tsp stock
1 tbsp caroenum
1 small egg, beaten
1l water
2 tbsp fish sauce
Method:
Strip the skin from the pheasant then cut the flesh into small dice. Combine in a mortar with the black pepper and pound to a paste. Work in the caroenum and stock then add just enough egg to bind. Shape the forcemeat into balls and set aside in the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm.
Combine the water and fish sauce in a pan. Bring to a boil, carefully add the pheasant forcemeat balls and poach gently for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve hot.
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