Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Part 59

[405] CALAMARY IN THE PAN _IN LOLIGINE IN PATINA_

CRUSH PEPPER, RUE, A LITTLE HONEY, BROTH, REDUCED WINE, AND OIL TO TASTE. WHEN COMMENCING TO BOIL, BIND WITH ROUX.

[1] Calamary, ink-fish, cuttlefish. Cf. Chap. IV. G.-V.

_Lolligine_.

[405a] STUFFED CALAMARY [1]

_IN LOLIGINE FARSILI_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, CORIANDER, CELERY SEED, YOLKS, HONEY, VINEGAR, BROTH, WINE, OIL, AND BIND [2].

[1] Ex List., Sch., and G.-V. Evidently a sauce or dressing. The formula for the forcemeat of the fish is not given here but is found in ? No. 406--stuffed Sepia, a fish akin to the calamary.

IV

SEPIA, CUTTLEFISH _IN SEPIIS_

[406] STUFFED SEPIA _IN SEPIA FARSILI_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, CELERY SEED, CARRAWAY, HONEY, BROTH, WINE, BASIC CONDIMENTS [1] HEAT [in water] THROW IN THE CUTTLEFISH; [when done]

SPLIT, THEN STUFF THE CUTTLEFISH [2] WITH [the following forcemeat]

BOILED BRAINS, THE STRINGS AND SKIN REMOVED, POUND WITH PEPPER, MIX IN RAW EGGS UNTIL IT IS PLENTY. WHOLE PEPPER [to be added]. TIE [the filled dish] INTO LITTLE BUNDLES [of linen] AND IMMERSE IN THE BOILING STOCK POT UNTIL THE FORCEMEAT IS PROPERLY COOKED.

[1] _Condimenta coctiva_--salt, herbs, roots.

[2] G.-V. treat this as a separate formula.

[407] BOILED CUTTLEFISH [1]

_SEPIAS ELIXAS AB AHENO_ [2]

ARE PLACED IN A COPPER KETTLE WITH COLD [WATER] AND PEPPER, LASER, BROTH, NUTS, EGGS, AND [any other] SEASONING YOU MAY WISH.

[1] List. connects this article with the foregoing.

[2] Tor. _aheno_ for copper kettle; List. _amylo_.

[408] ANOTHER WAY TO COOK CUTTLEFISH _ALITER SEPIAS_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, c.u.mIN, GREEN CORIANDER, DRY MINT, YOLKS, HONEY, BROTH, WINE, VINEGAR, AND A LITTLE OIL. WHEN BOILING BIND WITH ROUX.

V

POLYPUS [1]

_IN POLYPO_

[409] POLYPUS _IN POLYPO_

[cook with] PEPPER, LOVAGE, BROTH, LASER, GINGER [2] AND SERVE.

[1] The polypus, or eight-armed sepia, has been described by Plinius, Galen, Cicero, Diocles, Athenaeus and other ancient writers. The ancients praise it as a food and attribute to the polypus the power of restoring lost vitality: _molli carne pisces, & suaves gustu sunt, & ad venerem conferunt_--Diocles.

Wanting in the Vat. Ms.

[2] Wanting in List. and G.-V. Ex Tor. p. 100.

VI

OYSTERS _IN OSTREIS_

[410] OYSTERS [1]

_IN OSTREIS_

TO OYSTERS WHICH WANT TO BE WELL SEASONED ADD [2] PEPPER, LOVAGE, YOLKS, VINEGAR, BROTH, OIL, AND WINE; IF YOU WISH ALSO ADD HONEY [3].

[1] Wanting in the Vat. Ms.

[2] Tor. sentence wanting in the other texts.

[3] Cf. No. 14 for the keeping of oysters. It is not likely that the oysters brought from Great Britain to Rome were in a condition to be enjoyed from the sh.e.l.l--raw.

The above formula appears to be a sort of oyster stew.

VII

[411] ALL KINDS OF BIVALVES _IN OMNE GENUS CONCHYLIORUM_ [1]

FOR ALL KINDS OF Sh.e.l.lFISH USE PEPPER, LOVAGE, PARSLEY, DRY MINT, A LITTLE MORE OF c.u.mIN, HONEY, AND BROTH; IF YOU WISH, ADD [bay] LEAVES AND MALOBATHRON [2].

[1] Wanting in the Vat. Ms.

[2] Cf. note to ? No. 399.

The sh.e.l.lfish is cooked or steamed with the above ingredients.