mail: Bill Thayer	Italiano	Help	Up	Home
previous: Book VI This webpage reproduces a Book of the De Re Coquinaria of Apicius published by Walter M. Hill, 1936 The text is in the public domain. This text has not yet been proofread. If you find a mistake though, please let me know! next: Book VIII

Apicius
De Re Coquinaria

 p159  Book VII. Sumptuous Dishes
Liber VII. Polyteles

 p160  I
Sow's Womb, Cracklings, Udder, Tenderloin, Tails and Feet
Vulvae steriles, callum lumbelli coticulae et ungellae

251 Spayed Sow's Womb​1
Vulvae steriles

Sterile sow's womb (also udder and belly) is prepared in this manner: take​2 laser from Cyrene or Parthia, vinegar and broth.

252 Another Way
Aliter

Take pepper, celery seed, dry mint, laser root, honey, vinegar and broth.

253 Spayed Sow's Womb
Vulvae steriles

With pepper, broth and Parthian laser.

254 Another Way
Aliter

With pepper, lovage​1 and broth and a little condiment.

255 Cracklings, Pork Skin, Tenderloin, Tails and Feet
Callum, lumbelli,​1 coticulae, ungellae

Serve with pepper, broth and laser (which the Greeks call "silphion").​2

256 Grilled Sow's Womb
Vulvam ut tostam facias

Envelope in bran, afterwards​1 put in brine and then cook it.

 p161  II

257 Sow's Belly
Sumen

Sow's udder or belly with the paps on it is prepared in this manner:​1 the belly boil, tie it together with reeds, sprinkle with salt and place it in the oven, or, start roasting on the gridiron. Crush pepper, lovage, with broth, pure wine, adding raisin wine to taste, thicken the sauce with roux and pour it over the roast.

258 Stuffed Sow's Belly
Sumen plenum

Full​1 sow's belly is stuffed with​2 crushed pepper, carraway, salt mussels;º sew the belly tight and roast. Enjoy this with a brine sauce and mustard.

III
Fig-fed Pork
Ficatum​1

259 Wine Sauce for Fig-fed Pork
In ficato oenogarum​1

Fig-fed pork liver (that is, liver crammed with figs) is prepared in a wine sauce with​2 pepper, thyme, lovage, broth, a little wine and oil.​3

Preparation:	Into the oven:
Out of the oven:	Sliced at the table:
Photographs and commentary © Nickolas Urpí 2018, by kind permission. Mr. Urpí writes: As Apicius was not clear on the cooking instructions, I followed the advice of a butcher and had the liver butterflied and cooked to a temperature of 135° Fahrenheit [a bit less than 60C] to a medium rare. The herbs, pepper, thyme, lovage, I mixed with liquamen and a wine broth that resembled the one from the oxygarum for mushrooms, which I interpreted to be a type of stewing broth and rubbed in inside and outside the liver. I then stuffed the liver with figs. I added a dash of grape juice since my studies led me to conclude Roman wine was likely slightly sweet. I made the mistake of cooking it in a cast-iron pan, which cooked the bottom of the liver faster than the top. I would recommend covering it and keeping it in an elevated roasting pan so it steams and cooks evenly, remembering to baste it halfway through to keep it from getting dry. Use toothpicks to keep it closed and roast for 20 minutes at 350° [175C]. The result was delicious, however, as the flavor of the figs and of the liver were complementary.

IV
Tid bits, Chops, Cutlets
Offellae​1

261 Ostian​1 Meat Balls
Offellae Ostienses

Prepare the meat in this manner​2 Clean the meat of bones, sinews, etc. Scrape it as thin as a skin and shape it. Crush pepper, lovage, cumin, carraway, silphium, one laurel berry, moistened with broth; in a square dish place the meat balls and the spices where they remain in pickling for two or three days, covered crosswise with twigs. Then place them in the oven to be roasted, when done take the finished meat balls out. Crush pepper, lovage, with the broth, add a little raisin wine to sweeten. Cook it, thicken with roux, immerse the balls in the sauce and serve.

262 Apician Roulades
Offellas Apicianas

Bone the meat for the (roulades — a pork loin — roll it, tie it) oven, shape round, cover with or wrap in rushes. Roast. When done, retire, allow to drip and dry on the gridiron but so that the meat does not harden. Crush pepper, lovage, rush,​1 cumin, adding broth and raisin wine to taste. Place the roulades with this sauce together in a sauce pan; finish by braising. When done, retire the roulades and dry them. Serve without the gravy sprinkled with pepper. If too fat remove the outer skin.​2

 p163  263 Pork Cutlet, Hunter Style
Offellae aprugneo​1 more

In the same manner you can make tidbits of sow's belly​2 pork chops to be prepared in a manner to resemble wild boar are​3 pickled in oil and broth and placed in spices. When the cutlets are done (marinated) the pickle is placed on the fire and boiled; the cutlets are put back into this gravy and are finished with crushed pepper, spices, honey, broth, and roux. When this is done serve the cutlets without the broth and oil, sprinkled with pepper.

264 Tidbits Another Way
Aliter Offellae

The balls or cutlets are​1 properly fried in the pan, nearly done. Next prepare the following: one whole​2 glass broth, a glass of water, a glass of vinegar and a glass of oil, properly mixed; put this in an earthen baking dish, immerse meat pieces, finish on the fire and serve.

265 Tidbits in Another Style
Aliter Offellas

Also fry the cutlets this way:​1 in a pan with plenty of wine sauce, sprinkle with pepper and serve. Another way:​2 the cutlets previously salt and pickled in a broth of cumin, are properly fried.​3

V
Choice Roasts
Assaturae​1

266 Roasting, Plain
Assaturam simplicem​1

Simply put the meats to be roasted in the oven, generously sprinkled with salt, and serve it glazed with honey.​2

267 Another Style for Roasts
Aliter assaturas

Take 6 scruples of parsley, of laser​1 just as many, 6 of ginger, 5 laurel berries, 6 scruples of preserved laser root, Cyprian rush 6, 6 of origany, a little costmary, 3 scruples of chamomile or pellitory, 6 scruples of celery seed, 12 scruples of pepper, and broth and oil as much as it will take up,​2

268 Another Condiment for Roast
Aliter assaturas

Crush dry myrtle berries with cumin and pepper, adding honey also broth, reduced must and oil. Heat and bind with roux. Pour this over the roast that is medium done, with salt; sprinkle with pepper and serve.

 p165  269 Another Roast Sauce
Aliter assaturas

6 scruples pepper, 6 scruples lovage, 6 scruples parsley, 6 scruples celery seed, 6 scruples dill, 6 scruples laser root, 6 scruples wild spikenard,​1 6 scruples Cyprian rush, 6 scruples carraway, 6 scruples cumin, 6 scruples ginger, a pint of broth and a spoonful oil.

270 Roast Neck​1
Assaturas in collari

Put in a braisière​2 and boil pepper, spices, honey, broth; and heat this with the meat in the oven. The neck piece itself, if you like, is also roasted with spices and the hot gravy is simply poured over at the moment of serving.​3

VI

271 Sauce for All Boiled Dishes
Jus in elixam omnem

Pepper, lovage, origany, rue, silphium, dry onion, wine, reduced wine, honey, vinegar, a little oil, boiled down, strained through a cloth and poured under the hot cooked meats.​1

272 Sauce for Boiled Viands
Jus in elixam

Make it thus: [Tor.] pepper, parsley, broth, vinegar, fig-dates, onions, little oil, poured under very hot.

 p166  273 Another
Jus in elixam

Crush pepper, dry rue, fennel seed, onion, fig-dates, with broth and oil.

274 White Bread​1 Sauce for Boiled Viands
Jus candidum in elixam

White sauce he says boiled dishes is made thus:​2 pepper, broth, wine, rue, onions, nuts, a little spice, bread soaked to the saturation point, oil, which is cooked and spread under the meat.

275 Another White Sauce for Boiled Viands
Aliter jus candidum in elixam

Another white sauce for boiled dishes contains: pepper, carraway, lovage, thyme, origany, shallots, dates, honey, vinegar, broth and oil.

276 White Sauce for Dainty Food
In copadis​1 jus album

Take cumin, lovage, rue seed, plums from Damascus​2 Soak in wine, add honey mead and vinegar, thyme and origany to taste.​3

277 Another White Sauce for Appetizers
Aliter jus candidum in copadiis

Is made thus :​1 pepper, thyme, cumin, celery seed, fennel, rue, mint,​2 myrtle berries, raisins, raisin  p167 wine, and mead to taste; stir it with a twig of satury.​3

278 Sauce for Tidbits
Jus in copadiis

Pepper, lovage, carraway, mint, leaves of spikenard (which the Greeks call "nardosachiom") [sic!]​1 yolks, honey, mead, vinegar, broth and oil. Stir well with satury and leeks​2 and tie with roux.

279 White Sauce for Tidbits
Jus album in copadiis

Is made thus:​1a pepper, lovage, cumin, celery seed, thyme, nuts, which soak and clean, honey, vinegar, broth and oil to be added.​1b

280 Sauce for Tidbits
Jus in copadiis

Pepper, celery seed, carraway, satury, saffron, shallots, toasted almonds, figdates, broth, oil and a little mustard; color with reduced must.

281 Sauce for Tidbits
Jus in copadiis

Pepper, lovage, parsley, shallots, toasted almonds, dates, honey, vinegar, broth, reduced must and oil.

282 Sauce for Tidbits
Jus in copadiis

Chop hard eggs, pepper, cumin, parsley, cooked leeks, myrtle berries, somewhat more honey, vinegar, broth and oil.

 p168  283 Raw Dill Sauce for Boiled Fish
In elixam anethatum crudum

Pepper, dill seed, dry mint, laser root, pour under: vinegar, date wine, honey, broth, and a little mustard, reduced must and oil to taste; and serve it with roast pork shoulder.

284 Briny Sauce for Boiled Dish
Jus in elixam allecatum

Pepper, lovage, carraway, celery seed, thyme, shallots, dates, fish brine,​1 strained honey, and wine to taste; sprinkle with chopped green celery and oil and serve.

VII

285 Pig's Paunch
Ventrem porcinum

Clean the paunch of a suckling pig well with salt and vinegar and presently wash with water. Then fill it with the following dressing: pieces of pork pounded in the mortar, three brains — the nerves removed — mix with raw eggs, add nuts, whole pepper, and sauce to taste. Crush pepper, lovage, silphium, anise, ginger, a little rue; fill the paunch with it, not too much, though, leaving plenty of room for expansion lest it bursts while being cooked. Put it in a pot with boiling water, retire and prick with a needle so that it does not burst. When half done, take it out and hang it into the smoke to take on color; now boil it over again and finish it leisurely. Next take the broth, some pure wine and a little oil, open the paunch with a small knife. Sprinkle with the broth and lovage; place the pig near the fire to heat it, turn it around in bran or bread crumbs immerse in sprinkle with brine and finish the outer crust to a golden brown.​1

 p169  VIII

286 Roast Loins Made Thus
Lumbuli assant ita fiunt

Split them into two parts so that they are spread out​1 sprinkle the opening with crushed pepper and ditto nuts, finely chopped coriander and crushed fennel seed. The tenderloins are then rolled up to be roasted; tie together, wrap in caul, parboil in oil​2 and broth, and then roast in the oven or broil on the gridiron.

IX

287 Baked Picnic Ham Pork Shoulder, Fresh or Cured
Pernam

The ham should be braised with a good number of figs and some three laurel leaves; the skin is then pulled off and cut into square pieces; these are macerated with honey. Thereupon make dough crumbs of flour and oil​1 lay the dough over or around the ham, stud the top with the pieces of the skin so that they will be baked with the dough bake slowly and when done, retire from the oven and serve.​2

 p170  288 To Cook Pork Shoulder
Pernae​1 cocturam

Ham simply cooked in water with figs is usually dressed on a platter baking pan sprinkled with crumbs and reduced wine, or, still better, with spiced wine and is glazed under the open flame, or with a shovel containing red-hot embers.

X

289 Fresh Ham
Musteis​1 petasonem​2

A fresh ham is cooked with 2 pounds of barley and 25 figs. When done skin, glaze the surface with a fire shovel full of glowing coals, spread honey over it, or, what's better: put it in the oven covered with honey. When it has a nice color, put in a sauce pan raisin wine, pepper, a bunch of rue and pure wine to taste. When this sauce is done, pour half of it over the ham and in the other half soak specially made ginger bread​3 The remnant of the sauce after most of it is thoroughly soaked into the bread, add to the ham.​4

XI

290 Bacon, Salt Pork
Laridi​1 coctura

Cover with water and cook with plenty of dill; sprinkle with a little oil and a trifle of salt.

XII

291 Sheep Liver
Jecinora hoedina vel agnina​1

Cook thus: make a mixture of water, mead, eggs and milk in which thoroughly soak the sliced liver. Stew the liver in wine sauce, sprinkle with pepper and serve.

292 Another Way to Cook Lung
Aliter in pulmonibus

Liver and lung are also cooked in this way:​1 soak well in milk, strain it off if offensive in taste​2 Break 2 eggs and add a little salt, mix in a spoonful honey and fill the lung with it, boil and slice.​3

293 A Hash of Liver
Aliter

Crush pepper, moisten with broth, raisin wine, pure oil, chop the lights​1 fine and add wine sauce.​2

XIII

294 Home-made sweets
Dulcia domestica​1 et melcae

Little home confections (which are called dulciaria) are made thus:​2 little palms or (as they  p172 are ordinarily called)​3 dates are stuffed — after the seeds have been removed — with a nut or with nuts and ground pepper, sprinkled with salt on the outside and are candied in honey and served.​4

295 Another Sweetmeat
Aliter dulcia

Grate scrape, peel some very best fresh aphros​1 and immerse in milk. When saturated place in the oven to heat but not to dry out; when thoroughly hot retire from oven, pour over some honey, stipple the fruit so that the honey may penetrate, sprinkle with pepper​2 and serve.

296 Another Sweet Dish
Aliter dulcia

Break slice fine white bread, crust removed, into rather large pieces which soak in milk and beaten eggs fry in oil, cover with honey and serve.​1

 p173  297 Another Sweet
Aliter dulcia

In a chafing-dish put​1 honey, pure wine, raisin wine, pine nuts, nuts, cooked spelt, add crushed and toasted hazelnuts​2 and serve.

298 Another Sweet
Aliter dulcia

Crush pepper, nuts, honey, rue, and raisin wine with milk, and cook the mixture​1 with few eggs well worked in, cover with honey, sprinkle with crushed nuts, etc. and serve.

299 Another Sweet
Aliter dulcia

Take a preparation similar​1 to the above and in the hot water bath or double boiler make a very hard porridge of it. Thereupon spread it out on a pan and when cool cut it into handy pieces like small cookies. Fry these in the best oil, take them out, dip into hot honey, sprinkle with pepper​2 and serve.

300 A Still Better Way
Aliter

Is to prepare this with milk instead of water.

301 Custard
Tyropatinam

Estimate the amount of milk necessary for this dish and sweeten it with honey to taste; to a pint​1 of fluid take 5 eggs; for half a pint​2 dissolve 3 eggs in milk and beat well there is incorporate thoroughly, strain through a colander into an earthen dish and cook on a slow fire in  p174 hot water bath in oven. When congealed sprinkle with pepper and serve.​3

302 Omelette soufflée​1
Ova sphongia ex lacte

Four eggs in half a pint of milk and an ounce of oil well beaten, to make a fluffy mixture; in a pan put a little oil, and carefully add the egg preparation, without letting it boil​2 however. Place it in the oven to let it rise and when one side is done, turn it out into a service platter fold it pour over honey, sprinkle with pepper​3 and serve.​4

303 Cheese and Honey
Mel et caseum​1

Prepare cottage cheese either with honey and broth brine or with salt, oil and chopped coriander.​2

XIV

304 Bulbs​1
Bulbos

Serve with oil, broth and vinegar, with a little cumin sprinkled over.

 p175  305 Another Way
Aliter

Soak​1 the bulbs and parboil them in water; thereupon fry them in oil. The dressing make thus: take thyme, flea-bane, pepper, origany, honey, vinegar, reduced wine, date wine, if you like​2 broth and a little oil. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

306 Another Way
Aliter

Cook the bulbs into a thick purée​1 and season with thyme, origany, honey, vinegar, reduced wine, date wine, broth and a little oil.

307 Varro says of Bulbs​1
Varro si quid de bulbis dixit

Cooked in water they are conducive to love​2 and are therefore also served at wedding feasts, but also seasoned with pignolia nut or with the juice of colewort, or mustard, and pepper.

308 Fried Bulbs
Bulbos frictos

Are served with wine sauce [Oenogarum].

 p176  XV Mushrooms or Morels​1

309 Morels​1
Fungi farnei

Morels are cooked quickly in garum and pepper, taken out, allowed to drip; also broth with crush pepper may be used to cook the mushrooms in.

310 For Morels
In fungis farneis

Pepper, reduced wine, vinegar and oil.

311 Another Way of Cooking Morels
Aliter fungi farnei

In salt water, with oil, pure wine, and serve with chopped coriander.

312 Mushroom
Boletos fungos

Fresh mushrooms are stewed​1 in reduced wine with a bunch of green coriander, which remove before serving.

313 Another Style of Mushroom
Boletos aliter​1

Mushroom stems or buds, very small mushrooms are cooked in broth. Serve sprinkled with salt.

314 Another Way of Cooking Mushrooms
Boletos aliter

Slice the mushroom stems​1 stew them as directed above and finish by covering them with eggs​2 adding pepper, lovage, a little honey, broth and oil to taste.

XVI

315 Truffles
Tubera

Scrape [brush] the truffles, parboil, sprinkle with salt, put several of them on a skewer, half fry them; then place them in a sauce pan with oil, broth, reduced wine, wine, pepper, and honey. When done retire the truffles bind the liquor with roux, decorate the truffles nicely and serve.​1

316 Another Way to Prepare Truffles
Aliter tubera

Parboil the truffles, sprinkle with salt and fasten them on skewers, half fry them and then place them in a sauce pan with broth, virgin oil, reduced wine, a little pure wine​1 crushed pepper and a little honey; allow them to finish gently and well covered when done, bind the liquor with roux, prick the truffles so they may become saturated with the juice, dress them nicely, and when real hot, serve.

317 Another Way
Aliter

If you wish you may also wrap the truffles in caul of pork, braise and so serve them.

318 Another Truffle
Aliter Tubera

Stew the truffles in wine sauce, with pepper, lovage, coriander, rue, broth, honey, wine, and a little oil.

 p178  319 Another Way for Truffles
Aliter tubera

Braise the truffles with pepper, mint, rue, honey, oil, and a little wine. Heat and serve.

320 Another Way for Truffles
Aliter Tubera​1

Pepper, cumin, silphium, mint, celery, rue, honey, vinegar, or wine, salt or broth, a little oil.

321 Another Way for Truffles
Aliter Tubera​1

Cook the truffles with leeks, salt, pepper, chopped coriander, the very best wine and a little oil.

XVII

322 Colocasium​1 taro, dasheen
Colocasium

For the colocasium (which is really the colocasia plant, also called "Egyptian bean" use)​2 pepper, cumin, rue, honey, or broth, and a little oil; when done bind with roux​3 Colocasium is the root of the Egyptian bean which is used exclusively.​4

323 Milk-fed Snails
Cochleas lacte pastas

Take snails and sponge them; pull them out of the shells by the membrane and place them for a day in a vessel with milk and salt.​1 Renew the milk daily. Hourly​2 clean the snails of all refuse, and when they are so fat that they can no longer retire to their shells fry them in oil and serve  p180 them with wine sauce. In a similar way they may be fed on a milk porridge.​3

324 Another Way
Aliter

The snails are fried with pure salt and oil and a sauce of laser, broth, pepper and oil is underlaid; or the fried snails are fully covered with broth, pepper and cumin.

325 Another Way for Snails
Aliter cochleas

The live snails are sprinkled with milk mixed with the finest wheat flour, when fat and nice and plump they are cooked.

326 Fried Eggs
Ova frixa

Fried eggs are finished in wine sauce.

327 Boiled Eggs
Ova elixa

Are seasoned with broth, oil, pure wine, or are served with broth, pepper and laser.

328 With Poached Eggs
In ovis hapalis

Serve pepper, lovage, soaked nuts, honey, vinegar and broth.

End of Book VII
Explicit Apicii polyteles: Liber septimus [Tac.]

---

Thayer's Note:

a Vehling writes "Fluvius Hirpinus"; a mistake (repeated in Book VIII) that I'd usually just correct and mark with one of my little bullets,º were it not that book after book has picked it up and repeated it: poor scholar­ship doesn't go back to the original. . . .

The man's name was Fulvius or just maybe Flavius (less likely because it was commoner much later in Rome's history): both are common man's names and both mean "blond". Fluvius is not a personal name, and means "river".

As to his last name, or more properly his nomen, the manuscripts disagree. Mayhoff, the editor of Pliny, believes Lippinus to be the correct reading: H. N. VIII.211; the man is mentioned again in a similar connection at VIII.211.

◂ previous						next ▸
Images with borders lead to more information. The thicker the border, the more information. (Details here.)
UP TO:		Apicius	Latin & Greek Texts	LacusCurtius	Home
A page or image on this site is in the public domain ONLY if its URL has a total of one *asterisk. If the URL has two **asterisks, the item is copyright someone else, and used by permission or fair use. If the URL has none the item is © Bill Thayer. See my copyright page for details and contact information.

Accessibility