Vegetable and Chocolate Loaf

With young root vegetables just starting to come into season (and being at their sweetest), today I am posting a rather unusual, but delicious, recipe to use these vegetables.

There is a long tradition of using sweet root vegetables to prepare sweet cakes and pies. They marry well with sugar and with chocolate and give you a moist cake with considerable lasting power.


Beetroot is one of my favourites, as it gives an intense colour (the recipe below is for a Beetroot and Chocolate Loaf, but carrots and sweet potatoes also work well.

Beetroot and Chocolate Loaf

Ingredients:

240g self-raising flour
30g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
120g caster sugar
pinch of salt
90g dark chocolate (at least 80% cocoa solids), melted
90g butter, melted

120g beetroot, peeled an grated (raw is the best, but whole, pickled, baby beetroot can be used)
2 eggs, beaten

Instructions:

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Meanwhile place the chocolate and butter in a bowl and set over a pan of lightly simmering water to melt. When melted stir to combine then add the sugar and grated sweet potatoes. Lightly whisk the eggs and add the chocolate mix to this. Stir the egg and chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients until you have a smooth batter then turn into a well-greased 1kg loaf tin.


Place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 50 minutes, or until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake emerges cleanly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin then tip onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

If you have enjoyed this recipe, then you can find more traditional and modern cake recipes here.

The Demise (and Rise) of British Truffles

British Truffles

It's little known today, but the rather unassuming British Summer truffle, Tuber aestivum was once the centre of a major industry.



This is a black truffle, about the size of a squash ball that's native to Europe. Though it's not as strongly flavoured as the more famous Perigord truffle, it is still flavoursome and is widely hunted for in France and Italy. Indeed, during the Victorian period it was much gathered and during its fruiting period (May to August in the UK) it was much gathered and hundreds of kg were collected for sale in major markets.

This is why Victorian chefs such as Charles Elmé Francatelli were so liberal in the use of truffles in their recipes. An example of this being Francatelli's recipe for d'Uxelles Sauce:


No. 75.—D'UXELLES SAUCE.


Chop fine the following ingredients in equal proportions, according to the quality of sauce required for present use: viz.—mushrooms, truffles, ham, parsley, and shalots; put these into a small stewpan with an ounce of scraped fat bacon, and stir the whole over the fire for six minutes; then add about half a pint of sauce, the juice of half a lemon, nutmeg, pepper, and salt, a good pinch of sugar, and four yolks of eggs; stir again over the fire to set the eggs, and use the d'Uxelles as herein directed.

Blow is a Modern Redaction of this recipe:

Francatelli's d'Uxelles Sauce

Ingredients:
60g mushrooms, finely chopped
2 truffles, finely chopped
60g ham, finely chopped
4 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
60g shallots, finely chopped
45g bacon fat
300ml brown sauce
juice of 1/2 lemon
generous pinch of sugar
salt, freshly-ground black pepper and freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
4 egg yolks

Method:

Melt the bacon in a pan, add the mushrooms, ham, parsley and shallots. Fry gently for about six minutes, or until lightly browned then add the sauce, lemon juice, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a simmer then take off the heat.

Beat the egg yolks in a bowl and, whilst whisking constantly, add the add about a ladle of the sauce to temper the eggs. Pour the tempered egg mix back into the pan and whisk to combine. Set over low heat and continue to cook until thickened. Take off the heat and serve immediately.

Over 60 years ago, the British truffle industry died out and interest in British truffles withered away. However, with summer truffles retailing for £120 per kg there is now renewed interest in this fungus and truffle hunting dogs are being imported from Perigord and Italy to hunt these black gems.

Indeed, recent dry summers seem to have been beneficial for Summer Truffles and some dedicuous forests (those with alkaline soils on a bed of chalk and a preponderance of beech) are generating hundreds of kilograms of these fungi, generating renewed interest in these native culinary delights.


If you would like more information about edible mushrooms, then check out the Celtnet Edible Mushroom Guide.

For all the wild food recipes on this blog, see the wild food recipes page.

UPDATE! The complete text of Francatelli's Cook's Guide has been edited and published!

This recipe and over 1000 other recipes published in Francatelli's 1661 'The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's and Butler's Assistant' has been published in eBook format. The complete text and all images from Francatelli's book has been re-edited and made available with an introduction and new biography. You also get essential Victorian recipes for basic pastries and store sauces that are needed to re-create Francatelli's recipes but which Francatelli himself did not publish.

In addition over 100 of Francatelli's recipes, including all the Reform Club recipes have been redacted and published as a separate chapter so that a modern cook can copy them. Using these recipes and the additional Victorian recipes provided you can re-create all of Francatelli's dishes from scratch.

So why not re-create a Victorian dinner party, or a Victorian Christmas meal as described by Francatelli himself in his Bills of Fare? Learn why Francatelli is one of the most well respected of the Victorian cookery writers and get a copy of his book for yourself today.

Classic Mother Sauces

Preparing Classic Sauces

From the Roman cookery of Apicius sauces of one kind or another have been an integral art of European cookery. These evolved into the Middle ages, and from sources such as the Forme of Cury and its French and Italian equivalents we can see the development of modern cookery.

These developed into what the French term 'mother sauces' base sauces from which other sauces can be derived. Of course, one of the true base sauces is French Béchamel sauce, and the recipe below is derived from Mrs Beeton:

Béchaeml Sauce

Ingredients


1 small bunch of parsley
2 cloves
1/2 bayleaf
1 small bunch of savoury herbs (tied together)
salt, to taste
4 mushrooms
1.2l white stock
600ml cream
1 tbsp arrowroot

Method:
Combine the stock, parsley, cloves, bayleaf, herbs and mushrooms in a pan. Season with salt (but do not add pepper) then bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes (or until the flavour has been drawn from the herbs) then strain and return the liquid to the pan.

Bring back to a boil and cook until the volume has reduced by half (about 20 minutes). Whisk the arrowroot into the cream until smooth then pour the mixture into a clean pan, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.

Whisk the cream mixture into the stock mixture and simmer slowly for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thick. This is a classic base sauce which can be thinned with milk to make a pouring sauce, if desired.

This can be converted into a range of other sauces, such as Aurore sauce (just add tomato purée).


Another classic base or mother sauce is Sauce Tournée, again from Mrs Beeton:

Sauce Tournée

Ingredients

600ml white stock
1 tbsp butter mixed to a smooth paste with 1 tbsp plain flour (or white roux)
1 bunch of savoury herbs, tied together (must include parsley)
6 mushrooms, chopped
6 shallots

Method:

Combine the stock, herbs, onions and mushrooms in a pan. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 30 minutes. Now whisk in enough of the thickening to bring the mixture together as a sauce.

Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes. Skim the surface, strain and serve immediately.

This is a base sauce for Allemande Sauce, Mussel sauce and a range of others.


By learning to prepare a few basic sauces, you can give all your recipes a lift by using variants of those sauces to dress your dishes.


For many more sauce recipes (basic sauces and derivatives), visit the Celtnet Recipes for Sauces Home page where you will see hundreds of sauce recipes from across the globe.

Enjoy!

Medieval Cookery

Forme of Cury Recipes and Translations

I love cooking and I love the history of cookery. The problem is, that for early cooking we are left with a small number of sources... Apicius being the earliest (about 400 AD) then we have the beginnings of medieval cookery writing in the 14th Century.

One of the earliest of these cookery books is the Forme of Cury, a cookery book, written at the behest of Richard II of England, about 1390. This is notable for being the first cookery book written in English and for being one of the first books written in the newly emergent language of English itself.

For the first time, the Celtnet website has made the entire text of The Forme of Cury freely available on the web. If you navigate to the Forme of Cury Contents Page you will see the entire recipe list from the book with links to each recipe. Click on these links and you will be taken through to a facsimile version of that recipe with a side-by-side version in English.

The recipes are rendered with a special font so that, in modern browsers they appear as close to the original handwritten manuscript as it's possible using modern Web technology.

This is the first time that a modern version of the text has been made available and it's the first time that the text has been presented in its entirety with an update/translation to modern English.

On the Forme of Cury Recipes pages you will also find a number of links through to modern redactions of the recipes so that you can cook versions of these 700 year old dishes for yourself.

Below is an example of a recipe from the Forme of Cury, that for: Egredouce Recipe from the Forme of Cury:


Egredouce

Take co̅nyngꝰ or kyꝺꝺe +̅ smyꞇe he̅ on pecys rawe +̅ fry he̅ in white grece · ꞇake rayſons of corance +̅ fry he̅. ꞇake oynons ꝑboyle he̅ +̅ hewe he̅ smal +̅ fry he̅ · ꞇake reꝺe wynne · sug᷑ w^ꞇ poudor of peꝑ · of ꝫ̅ꝫ̅ · anꝺ canel salꞇ +̅ caſt þꝰꞇo · +̅ lat hiꞇ ſeeþ w^ꞇ a goꝺe qu^atite of whiꞇe grece +̅ sꝰue hiꞇ forꞇh·


Meat in Sweet and Sour Sauce

Take rabbits or kid goat and chop into raw pieces and fry them in lard and take currants and fry them and take onions and boil them and chop them finely and fry them and take red wine, sugar with powdered pepper and powdered ginger and cinnamon [and] salt and sprinkle over [the dish]. Let it boil with a good quantity of larde and serve it forth.

Modern Redaction

1kg rabbit or kid goat, chopped
lard or butter for frying
200g currants
2 onions
500ml red wine
100g golden caster sugar
1/2 tsp powdered black pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g breadcrumbs, for thickening


Method:

Melt the lard or butter in a pan. Add the meat and fry until browned then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the currants to the pan and fry, stirring frequently, until just plump then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.


In the meantime, bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil. Add the onions and boil for 10 minutes. Chop the onions, add to the frying pan and cook for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.


Place the meat in a saucepan, add the currants and onion then pour in the wine. Bring to a simmer, and season with the sugar, black pepper, ginger and cinamon.


Return to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the meat is tender (top-up the liquid with water, as needed). About 15 minutes before the dish is due to be served mix in the breadcrumbs to thicken. Serve hot

Braised Brisket for Supper

The beef brisket is both a flavoursome and a frugal cut. However, it's a fairly tough piece of meat that requires slow cooking to extract the maximum flavour.

But this means that you can you can braise the beef over a prolonged period of time, as well as adding your vegetables to the dish. You can even turn the braising liquid into a sauce to accompany the meat.

This recipe is based on the following one for: beef brisket braised in beer, but with a few twists of my own.

Braised Brisket of Beef with Vegetables

1.5kg (about) rolled brisket of beef
2 bayleves
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
6 black peppercorns
6 allspice berries
500ml dark beer
150ml red wine
beef stock
1 tbsp English mustard
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp chilli paste
10 baby onions, peeled
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 turnips, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
6 carrots, cut into 6cm lengths
4 potatoes, cut into 2 cm pieces
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour

Add the beef to a deep casserole dish. Surround with the garlic, bayleaves, baby onions, thyme sprigs, black peppercorns and allspice berries. Whisk the tomato puree, mustard and chilli paste into the beer then pour over the beef. Add the red wine then pour in enough of the beef stock so that the level of liquid comes half way up the beef.

Cover with a sheet of kitchen foil then add the lid. Place the casserole in an oven pre-heated to 160°C and cook for 2 hours. At this point, add the turnips, carrots and potatoes to the pan, along with the soy sauce. Return to the oven and cook for a further 60 minutes.

At this point, remove the meat from the casserole. Cover with foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid from the casserole in to a jug and place the vegetables back in the oven to keep warm. Melt the butter in a pan, scatter over the flour and stir to make a smooth roux. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then whisk in the strained casserole juices.

Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, or until thickened.

Slice the beef and accompany with the vegetables and the gravy. Serve hot.


For more beef recipes see the following Celtnet Recipes page for beef-based recipes where you will find over 1000 recipes utilizing beef as a main ingredient.

Recipe Ideas for Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is one of the most romantic days in the calendar. But it can be stressful if you are preparing a meal for that 'someone special'. Below you will find a number of ideas for things you can make and serve throughout the day, as well as links to a range of other recipes and information about Valentine's day itself.

In English-speaking countries Valentine's day is the traditional day, celebrated on February 14^th on which lovers display their affection for one another by sending cards, gifting chocolates and flowers or preparing romantic meals.

It must be admitted, however, that the origins of Valentine's day is something of a mystery. It seems to have grown in popularity in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished and is probably named after two amongst the many early Christian martyrs bearing the name 'Valentine' who were buried along the Via Flaminia road connecting Rome with Rimini.

Often, foods considered to be aphrodisiac are included in many Valentine's day recipes. Below is a list of aphrodisiac foods that you might wish to base a Valentine's day meal upon: Asparagus; Almonds, Avocados; Bananas (particularly the sap of the red banana); Basil; Rocket (Arugula); Truffles; Coffee; Dark Chocolate; Coriander (Cilantro); Honey; Vanilla; Liquorice; Raspberries; Carrots; Ginger; Ginseng; Garlic; Figs; Wine (Particularly Champagne); Strawberries; Celery; Ginkgo; Lettuce; Oysters; Saffron; Artichokes; Tomatoes (from the French term pomme d'amour); Passion Fruit.

For breakfast, you might try:

Ginseng Banana Muffins

Ingredients:
2 tbsp ginseng powder
2 very soft medium bananas
2 medium eggs
100g sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
210g plain flour
1 tbsp oil
1/8 tsp salt

Method:

Add 3 tbsp hot water to a bowl and stir in the ginseng then set aside to infuse for 15 minutes. After this time combine the bananas, eggs, sugar, oil, ginseng (and its soaking water) in a large bowl and mash until thoroughly blended.

Sift together the dry ingredients into a separate bowl then add the banana mixture and mix thoroughly. Grease or line 12 muffin wells and spoon in the muffin mix, filling the wells no more than 2/3 full. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the muffins are well risen, cooked through and golden brown.

Allow to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes then turn out onto wire racks. Serve warm.


For a starter:

Angels on Horseback

Ingredients:
24 oysters
12 rashers of streaky bacon
12 small slices of toast
butter for toast
small bunch of watercress

Method:

Stretch the bacon with the back of a knife then cut each rasher in half. Use these to wrap around the oysters (one half bacon rasher for each oyster). Place the bacon covered oysters on a baking tray (pack them tightly against one another so the bacon doesn't unravel — or pierce with a cocktail stick). Place in an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for 8 minutes.

Butter the toast, place two of the Angels on Horseback on each and garnish with the watercress.


As a main course:

Double Heart Pizza

Ingredients:
1 large, pre-baked, pizza base
80ml pizza sauce
50g Mozzarella cheese, grated
12 large prawns, cooked
1 medium red bell pepper
extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

Trim the pizza base into a heart shape then pace on a pizza pan (or baking sheet). Spread the pizza sauce over the base (leave a small clear rim) then sprinkle the cheese over the sauce.

Place the prawns, in pair,s with their tails touching to make heart shapes. Repeat with the slices of pepper (halve these and arrange in heart shapes) then drizzle with a little olive oil. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the pizza is piping hot.

(you can find a whole range of classic pizza recipes here.


Of course, if you want to be more adventurous, then I would suggest:

Veal Chops Valentino

Ingredients:
2 veal chops, trimmed
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 celery stick, diced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, cut into strips
60ml dry white wine
225g passata (tomato sauce)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

For the Seasoned Flour:
1 tbsp plain flour (heaped)
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Prepare the seasoned flour on a plate by mixing all the ingredients together. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy pan until bubbling then dip the chops lightly on both sides in the seasoned flour then place in the pan and fry on both sides for about 5 minutes, or until well browned. Remove the chops from the pan and set aside to keep warm.

In the same pan, add the chopped vegetables and cook over low heat for about 3 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the white wine and bring to a boil then allow the mixture to reduce for 2 minutes before adding the tomato sauce. Stir to combine then return the chops to the pan, ensuring the meat is covered with the sauce. Cover the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Adjust the seasoning, to taste then serve the chops coated with the sauce and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Accompany with pasta or rice.


And not forgetting dessert:

Chocolat Pots de Crème

Ingredients:
360ml double cream
240ml semi-skimmed milk
1 tbsp strong coffee
2 tsp vanilla extract
240g plain chocolate, finely chopped
6 egg yolks
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Combine the cream, milk, coffee and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Heat to just under the boiling point then place the chocolate in a glass mixing bowl. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and whisk the resultant mixture until smooth and the chocolate is well incorporated.

Divide the mixture between 8 ramekins (about 150ml) then cover tightly with foil before placing in a baking dish. Pour water around the ramekins so the level comes half way up their sides. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 175°C an bake for about 35 minutes, or until set.

When done, uncover the ramekins and set aside to cool. Once cold transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 5 hours. Serve chilled with whipped cream and strawberries.


Of course, for many, a Valentine's day meal would not be complete without a decadent cocktail:

Raspberry Romance Cocktail

Ingredients:
30ml Coffee liqueur (eg Tia Maria)
22ml Chambord
37.5ml Irish cream liqueur (eg Baileys)
club soda

Method:

Fill a glass with ice then pour over the coffee liqueur, Chambord and Irish cream liqueur. Fill the remainder of the glass with club soda then serve.

(you can find a whole range of traditional and modern cocktail recipes here.


And finally, there are the treats:

Ungodly Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:
240ml double cream
300g dark (at least 70% cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp unsalted butter
500g dark (at least 70% cocoa solids) chocolate, chopped (for coating)

Method:

In a heavy pan, bring the cream to a simmer (a microwave and a glass bowl is just as good for this). Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and butter. (The smaller they are cut up, the easier this will be.) Once the chocolate has been incorporated, allow to cool and refrigerate until firmly set, stirring now and then. In the refrigerator compartment (this will take about 4 hours). Use the freezer and you can cut that down to under an hour, but with much more frequent stirring.

Using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out a tablespoon or so of chocolate and use your hands to form balls about 2 to 3 cm in diameter. Spread them on a baking sheet and freeze for an hour. While the balls are freezing, chop and carefully heat, in a bain-marie (double boiler) or heavy pot, the chocolate for the coating. Stir until melted. Allow to slowly cool until it feels just warm to your skin. The object is to have it just above the melting point so that when the frozen chocolate balls are dipped in it, they gather and congeal a thickish coating around them.

When the centres of the chocolate balls are frozen and the molten chocolate is ready, take each ball and drop it into the coating, roll it quickly about, then remove it with the tines of two forks and drop it onto a sheet of wax paper. If the coating thickens too much, reheat it a little, perhaps using a microwave.

When all the truffles are dipped, you can serve them right away. If they will be stored or transported, refrigerate them a while longer first.


The Last Word

If these recipes have whetted your appetite, then you can find more information about St Valentine's day as well as seeing hundreds of St Valentine's day recipes by following the link on the left.

Whatever you do for St Valentine's day, be sure to share it with the one you love.

The Cookery of Apicius

The name 'Apicius' is that associated with a book of Roman recipes that survives as a fourth century CE manuscript with a fifth century addendum added to it by a man known as 'Vinidaurus'. The book itself is known as the De Re Coquinaria (On Cooking).

The Apicius manuscript is the world's oldest cookery book and contains list of recipes divided into chapters, each dealing with a different subject.

The chapters themselves being:


I.     Epimeles — The Careful Chef
II.    Sarcoptes — Chopped Meats
III.   Cepuros — From the Garden
IV.   Pandecter — Various Dishes
V.    Ospreos — Legumes
VI.   Aeropetes — Fowl
VII.  Polyteles — Gourmet Dishes
VIII. Tetrapus — Quadrupeds
IX.   Thalassa — Seafood
X.    Halieus — Fish
Apici Excerpta — The Excerpts of Apicius

Who was Apicius then? The truth is that the name Apicius is shrouded in some mystery. However, the familial name Apicius seems to have been long-associated with excessively refined love of food, based on the exploits of two early Roman gourmands bearing the name.

The first of these was Marcus A. Apicius who lived about 100BCE during the time of Sulla. He was famed for the reputation of his good table even during later times. However, the Apicius that most authors focus on is Marcus Gabius Apicius (sometimes Gavisu) who lived during the times of Augustus and Tiberius (80BCE to 40CE). He is described by Athenaeus (in his Deipnosophistae), one of the chief writers of the time.

Athenaeus informs us that Apician recipes were famous and that many recipes were attributed to him. However, Apicius is not the only gourmand who has recipes attributed to them in the De Re Coquinaria. The most notable of these is Vitellius (who ruled Rome between January and June 69CE), a famous glutton. He ante-dates Apicius and it would seem that, rather than having been written by Apicius, the book was more likely dedicated to him. Indeed, 'Apicius' may even have become a short-had for anyone who enjoyed their foods. So that a dedication to 'Apicius' in the general would be one to all gourmands.

Regardless of whether Apicius truly existed or not, the cookery book bearing his name is a true treasure-trove of ancient recipe. Below, I resent a classic recipe bearing Apicius' name for what is, effectively, a lasagne-like dish of layered meats and pancakes. This comes from the fourth chapter of Apicius: Pandecter (Various Dishes), I present it here in its original Latin, in English translation and as a modern redaction that you can cook at home.

Patinam Apicianam Apician Casserole

Patinam Apicianam sic facies: frustra suminis cocti, pulpas piscium, pulpas pulli, ficetulas vel pectora turdorum cocta et quaecumque optima fuerint. haec omnia concides diligenter praeter ficetulas. ova vero cruda cum oleo dissolvis. teres piper, ligusticum, suffundes liquamen, vinum, passum, et in caccabum mittis ut calefiat, et amulo obligas. antea tamen pulpas concisas universas illuc mittes, et sic bulliat. at, ubi coctum fuerit, levabis cum iure suo et in patellam alternis de trulla refundes cum piperis grana integra et nucleis pineis, ita ut per singula coria substernas diploidem, in laganum similiter. quotquot lagana posueris, tot trullas impensae desuper adicies. unum vero laganum fistula percuties et super impones. piper asparges. ante tamen illas pulpas ovis confractis obligabis, et sic in caccabum mittes cum impensa. patellam aeneam qualem debes habere infra ostenditur.

Apician Casserole Is Made Thus: Prepare as follows: [Take] pieces of cooked sow's udder, fish fillets, chicken meats, fig-peckers or the breasts of thrushes, and whatever else is best. Chop all this, apart from the fig-peckers, carefully then stir [in] fresh eggs and olive oil. Pound pepper and lovage, moisten with liquamen, wine and passum, put in a saucepan, heat, and thicken with starch. But first add all the different meats and let them cook. [When done,] take a ladle and pour in layers into a pan [seasoning] with peppercorns and pine-nuts. Place under each layer a base of an oil cake [of flour and olive oil]. Place on each layer an ample ladleful of the meat mixture. Pierce the final oil cake with a reed stalk and set it atop the dish. Season with pepper. Before you put all these meats with the sauce into the pan you should have bound them with the eggs. The type of metal dish you should use is shown below.


To Make an Apician Casserole

Ingredients:

For the Pancakes:
3 eggs
75g plain flour
80ml milk
80ml water
butter, for frying

For the Filling:
675g cooked firm-fleshed fish, flaked, or 675g cooked pork and/or fowl, boned and shredded
3 eggs
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp lovage (or celery) seeds
500ml stock (beef, chicken or strong vegetable)
60ml white wine
60ml passum
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp coarsely-ground black pepper
6 tbsp pine nuts or almonds

Begin with the pancakes. Beat the eggs in bowl, and mix in the flour then beat in the milk and water until you have a smooth batter.


Heat a 20cm diameter frying pan, melt a small knob of butter and when hot add 1/6 of the batter. Spread to coat evenly and fry over high heat until browned on the base then flip over and cook on the other side. Continue this process until you have six pancakes. Stack on a plate and set aside until needed.


Prepare the fish or meat, flake or shred then combine in a bowl with the eggs, olive oil, lovage (or celery) seeds, stock, white wine and passum. Turn into a pan and heat through, adding more stock as needed. Take 1 tbsp cornflour and mix to a slurry with water. Add this slurry to the meat mix and cook gently until thickened then take off the heat. Now mix the nuts and black pepper in a bowl and set aside.


Take a 20cm diameter oven-proof dish and place a layer of the meat mix on the base. Top with a pancake and season with a little of the pine nut and pepper mix. Continue this layering process, until all the meat mix and the pancakes have been used, making certain that you finish with a pancake.


Make a hole in the top pancake to allow steam to escape then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until heated through.


Serve hot, sprinkled with cracked black pepper.

For more information on Apicius and the cookery book attributed to him, see this page on Apicius and the De Re Coquinaria (On Cooking).
If you would like to try more Roman recipes, then here you will find hundreds of Roman recipes for the modern cook.