Another Roman Recipe To Delight All

[Pertinax]

Thank you , molto gentile.

 

Whilst we await , with bated breath , word from AD on possible Greek or Roman usage of the divine truffle , I offer all civilised persons this tantalising image:

 

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1106

 

I feel I must have "une omelette aux fine herbs" at once.

[Andrew Dalby]

Whilst we await , with bated breath , word from AD on possible Greek or Roman usage of the divine truffle ...

 

Sorry, folks. Check the flow of saliva if you can. I know I promised, but I can't see myself having time to fulfil the promise before departing for Lusitania at the weekend. In return for your forbearance, I promise to return with a report of good food and wine consumed in this distant province of our Empire.

[Pantagathus]

I note that Pliny (Elder) make descriptive note of our excellent culinary grail, but did Plutarch make mention of its creation by " thunder and lightning?"

Nope that was again Pliny:

"When there have been showers in autumn, and frequent thunder-storms, truffles are produced, thunder contributing more particularly to their developement; they do not, however, last beyond a year, and are considered the most delicate eating when gathered in spring. In some places the formation of them is attributed to water; as at Mytilene, for instance, where they are never to be found, it is said, unless the rivers overflow, and bring down the seed from Tiara, that being the name of a place at which they are produced in the greatest abundance." - 19.13

 

Pliny in 19.11 - 19.13 discusses the truffle and I have to say I love the way Pliny muses over it's peculiarity in 19.11 ^_^

[Pantagathus]

I think there was a denarius in it, wasn't there?

According to Pliny there was!

 

I also offer that the ancient Greek word for truffle was phoringes and they also had a word hudnophullon for 'herbs' that grew over and were indicative of a truffle bearing location

Edited August 31, 2006 by Pantagathus

[Pertinax]

I think there was a denarius in it, wasn't there?

According to Pliny there was!

 

I also offer that the ancient Greek word for truffle was phoringes and they also had a word hudnophullon for 'herbs' that grew over and were indicative of a truffle bearing location

 

Pliny is certainly right about the influence of the weather, as I hinted a bad wine vintage =good truffle year.I am very interested to know what grows near /over the truffle "chamber" -I doubt that that sort of information is freely bandied about though.

[Pantagathus]

I am very interested to know what grows near /over the truffle "chamber" -I doubt that that sort of information is freely bandied about though.

I do know that the white Oregon Truffle grows in association with the Douglas Fir....

[Pertinax]

I am very interested to know what grows near /over the truffle "chamber" -I doubt that that sort of information is freely bandied about though.

I do know that the white Oregon Truffle grows in association with the Douglas Fir....

Yes , that is a specific to your ecosystem alone.

[Pertinax]

Fraternal Greetings to all our American Cousins , for your Labour Day weekend I commend to you one of Sally Grainger's "Cooking Apicius " recipes:

 

Ofellae Ostian style.

 

Ofellae are highly seasoned meat pieces usually taken from salted belly pork, a modern alternative would be "spare ribs" an American barbecue favourite-hence my post.Indeed this might be a sort of "ancient fast food shop" recipe.

Belly Pork must be marinated for three days in a blend of spices (below) and then roasted whole. Asafoteida was well known as a tenderiser, if you use it as given here ,you will find the meat is very tender.This is a good recipe for eating with your fingers at a party:

 

1tsp lovage seed

2 tsp dill seed

2 tsp cumin seed

a generous pinch of asafoteida resin or powder

a large bay leaf

1 tsp black peppercorns

(this is getting spicey)

3 tbsp of fish sauce (nam plah, garum)

2 lbs of belly pork

 

for the sauce:

plenty of ground pepper

half a level tsp lovage seed

2 tbsp fish sauce

50 ml of passum (malaga, raisin wine)

a little cornflour.

 

dry roast all the seeds in a frying pan quickly, till they give off fragrance . Then grind and mix with the peppercorns till they are all fine, add the fish sauce(and bay leaf), then cut the pork so that you have neat cubes of flesh attached to the skin (leave that unbroken) , rub the spice and fish mix into all the crevices so created . 24 hours resting is ok but 3 days left stood in a cool place is best.

 

Place whole joint (skin downwards) in a roasting tin with any remaining marinadeand some olive oil (I like to work oil into even a a fatty piece of pork as the crackled glaze is enhanced).Medium oven (gas 5 or 375 deg F) till well done.The meat will tend to leave the skin in "bite size " parcels easily.

 

Blend sauce separately, serve with same. Get drunk , get food all over toga. :chair: :drunk:

Wash hands afterwards or rub on slaves hair to clean .Engage in lewd activities etc etc

 

NB I tend to work a seam of thyme and fresh sage if folding over any joint of pork, likewise placing it on a bed of garlic (cut in cross section from a full bulb) keeps the joint moist.

[Gaius Octavius]

My Lord :notworthy: , it comes to me to have to inform you :notworthy: that this goodie is common practice amongst the Colonials. Some of these benighted Colonials have been reported to grate some truffle on the finished product. My personal preference is to pass on the offal and proceed, in a disorderly manner, to the corn, clams and beer.

 

[Pertinax]

Here is an addition to our wholesome and nutritious thread, relevant today as it was in the time of our illustrious ancestors:-

 

Black Pudding.

 

Apicius says: take 6 hard boiled egg yolks, some fine chopped pine kernels mixed with onion, fine sliced leek.Mix the raw blood (of the pig) with finely ground pepper and fill a pig's intestine with this mix.Add wine, liquamen and cook!

 

Or nowadays:

1 litreof blood, 6 hard boiled egg yolks, a small leek, 1 onion,200g pine kernels and 3tsp fine pepper.Season the blood with salt.Chop up the onion and leek very finely .Add the egg yolks, then blood and mix thoroughly.Funnel this mix whilst adding the pine into pig's intestines, twisting into sausages as you desire.

Put the sausages into cold white wine with some garum/nam pla , bring to boil slowly and steadily.Simmer well till cooked.

You will need bread to digest this rich stuff.

 

If I recall my Zola properly, never put a yard of hot pudding down your trouser leg. It wont impress anyone and you will be scalded.

[longbow]

Black pudding taist's delicious but you have to get a nice one,some of the cheaper variety's are bloody awful .Its a must on a traditional English fried breakfast but i'll eat it any chance i get,my favourite snack is a Black pudding sandwich .

Do you have a recipe for Spartan Black soup Pertinax?i understand that was made with Piggies blood,sounds lovely .

 

Longbow.

[Gaius Octavius]

:notworthy:

 

Gadzooks! Offal again!

 

Edited September 23, 2006 by Gaius Octavius

[Pertinax]

Black pudding taist's delicious but you have to get a nice one,some of the cheaper variety's are bloody awful .Its a must on a traditional English fried breakfast but i'll eat it any chance i get,my favourite snack is a Black pudding sandwich .

Do you have a recipe for Spartan Black soup Pertinax?i understand that was made with Piggies blood,sounds lovely .

 

Longbow.

 

I have nothing to hand , but be assured I will try my best!

 

Interesting , you do not like the saveloy dip with pease pudding?

[Pertinax]

"A thing that met with especial approval among them was their so-called black broth [zomos], so much that the older men did not require a bit of meat, but gave up all of it to the young men. It is said that Dionysius, the tyrant of Sicily, for the sake of this bought a slave who had been a Spartan cook, and ordered him to prepare the broth for him, sparing no expense. But when the king tasted it, he spat it out in disgust, whereupon the cook said, 'O King, it is necessary to have exercised in the Spartan manner, and to have bathed in the Eurotas, in order to relish this broth."

Plutarch.

 

All we now know is that blood was a key element, the recipe is lost , perhaps not for ill.

[longbow]

the recipe is lost , perhaps not for ill.

Thats a shame,i would of liked to know what the frugal Spartan's favourite staple foot taisted like,if i had the courage to try it .

 

you do not like the saveloy dip with pease pudding?

 

I like Pease pudding on toasted bread with Ham and black pepper,but i wouldnt let my dog eat a Saveloy,horrible paisty muck!yuk...

 

Ever tried White pudding Pertinax?i've never had the pleasure myself and i dont think i want to,it looks too unapertising to me.And there's no Blood in it!Bah...

 

Longbow