Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Part 64

PEPPER, LOVAGE, RUE, HONEY, NUTS, VINEGAR, WINE, BROTH, A LITTLE OIL; HEAT AND POUR OVER [1].

[1] List. is of the opinion that this is fresh mullet, while salt mullet was treated in the preceding formulae.

[443] ANOTHER SAUCE FOR BROILED MULLET _ALITER IUS IN MULLOS a.s.sOS_

RUE, MINT, CORIANDER, FENNEL,--ALL OF THEM GREEN--PEPPER, LOVAGE, HONEY, BROTH, AND A LITTLE OIL.

[444] SEASONING FOR BABY TUNNY _IUS IN PELAMYDE a.s.sA_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, ORIGANY, GREEN CORIANDER, ONION, SEEDLESS RAISINS [1], RAISIN WINE, VINEGAR, BROTH, REDUCED MUST, OIL, AND COOK.

[1] Wanting in Tor.

[445]

THIS SAUCE IS ALSO SUITABLE FOR BOILED [tunny]; IF DESIRED ADD HONEY.

[446] SAUCE FOR PERCH _IUS IN PERCAM_ [1]

PEPPER, LOVAGE, CRUSHED c.u.mIN, ONIONS, STONED DAMASCUS PRUNES, WINE, MEAD, VINEGAR, OIL, REDUCED MUST; COOK IT.

[1] _Perca_, perch--sea perch or sea ba.s.s.

[447] SEASONING FOR REDSNAPPER _CONDIMENTUM IN RUBELLIONEM_ [1]

PEPPER, LOVAGE, CARRAWAY, WILD THYME, CELERY SEED, DRY ONIONS, WINE, RAISIN WINE, VINEGAR, BROTH AND OIL; BIND WITH ROUX.

[1] _Rubellio_--a "reddish" fish; perhaps a species of the red-mullet or red-snapper. Hum. says the Latins called the fish _rubelliones_, _rubellos_ and _rubros_; the Greeks _erythrinos_ or _erythricos_, because of their reddish color. A fish, according to Athenaeus similar to the _pager_ or _pagrus_, _phager_ or _phagrus_, also called _pagur_, which is not quite identified.

II

[448] SAUCE FOR [BROILED] MURENA _IUS IN MURENA [a.s.sA]_ [1]

PEPPER, LOVAGE, SATURY, SAFFRON [2], ONIONS, STONED DAMASCUS PRUNES, WINE, MEAD, VINEGAR, REDUCED MUST AND OIL; COOK IT [3].

[1] V. doubting that this is broiled.

[2] Tor. _Crocomagma_; List. _croc.u.m magnum_, still used today in some fish preparations, particularly in the Bouillabaisse.

[3] The laconic style in which all these fish preparations are given, is very confusing to the uninitiated. We a.s.sume that most of these ingredients were used to season the water in which to boil fish; or, to make a _court-bouillon_, a fish-essence of the bones and the tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of the fish, in which to poach the sliced fish. The liquor thus gained was reduced and in the moment of serving was bound with roux or with yolks, and the fish was masked with this sauce. The exceptions from this rule are, of course, in cases where the fish was broiled or fried.

[449] SAUCE FOR BROILED MURENA _IUS IN MURENA a.s.sA_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, [stoned] DAMASCUS PRUNES, WINE, MEAD, VINEGAR, BROTH, REDUCED MUST, OIL; COOK IT.

[450] ANOTHER SAUCE FOR BROILED MURENA _ALITER IUS IN MURENA a.s.sA_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, CATMINT [1] CORIANDER SEED, ONIONS, PINE NUTS, HONEY, VINEGAR, BROTH, OIL; COOK IT.

[1] _Nepeta montana_--nep.

[451] ANOTHER SAUCE FOR BOILED MURENA [1]

_ALITER IUS IN MURENA ELIXA_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, DILL, CELERY SEED, CORIANDER, DRY MINT, PINE NUTS, RUE, HONEY, VINEGAR, WINE [2] BROTH, A LITTLE OIL, HEAT AND BIND WITH ROUX.

[1] Ex Tac. and Tor.; wanting in List. and G.-V.

[2] Tac.; wanting in Tor.

[452] ANOTHER SAUCE FOR BOILED MURENA _ALITER IUS IN MURENA ELIXA_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, CARRAWAY, CELERY SEED [1] CORIANDER, FIGDATES, MUSTARD, HONEY, VINEGAR, BROTH, OIL, REDUCED WINE.

[1] List., Sch., Dann. add here which is wanting in Tor.

_rhus Syriac.u.m_--Syrian Sumach.

The originals are considerably confused on the above and the following formulae.

[453] ANOTHER SAUCE FOR BOILED MURENA _ALITER IUS IN MURENA ELIXA_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, VINEGAR, CELERY SEED, SYRIAN SUMACH [1] FIGDATE WINE, HONEY, VINEGAR, BROTH, OIL, MUSTARD, AND REDUCED MUST. SERVE [2].

[1] See note to ? No. 452.

[2] Ex Tor. It appears that this formula is a correction of ? No. 452, as this is wanting in the other editions. Tor. also lacks the following formula.

In Tac. the above formula follows the next.

[454] SAUCE FOR BOILED FISH _IUS IN PISCE ELIXO_

PEPPER, LOVAGE, PARSLEY, ORIGANY, DRY ONIONS, HONEY, VINEGAR, BROTH, WINE, A LITTLE OIL, WHEN BOILING, TIE WITH ROUX AND SERVE IN A SMALL SAUCE BOAT [1].

[1] _in lance_; _lanx_ may also mean a large oblong platter on which fish would be served. Cf. ill.u.s.tration Oval Dish with Handles.