Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Part 13

BOOK II. MINCES

_Lib. II. Sarcoptes_ [1]

CHAP. I. FORCEMEATS, SAUSAGE, MEAT PUDDINGS, MEAT LOAVES.

CHAP. II. HYDROGARUM, SPELT PUDDING AND ROUX [2].

CHAP. III. SOW'S MATRIX, BLOOD SAUSAGE.

CHAP. IV. LUCANIAN SAUSAGE.

CHAP. V. SAUSAGE.

[1] Tor. _Artoptes_; Tac. _Artoptus_. This may have been derived from _artopta_--a vessel in which bread and pudding are baked. However, Sarcoptes is the better word, which is Greek, meaning "chopped meats."

[2] Tac. _Ambolatum_, and so in Tor. p. 15, _De Ambolato_. Cap. IIII. cf. our note following No. 58.

I

[41] MINCED DISHES _ISICIA_

THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF MINCED DISHES [1] SEAFOOD MINCES [2] ARE MADE OF SEA-ONION, OR SEA CRAB-FISH, LOBSTER, CUTTLE-FISH, INK FISH, SPINY LOBSTER, SCALLOPS AND OYSTERS [3]. THE FORCEMEAT IS SEASONED WITH LOVAGE [4], PEPPER, c.u.mIN AND LASER ROOT.

[1] Tor. Sentence wanting in other texts. V. Forcemeats, minced meats, sausage. Tor. _Hysitia_, from _Isicia_.

This term is derived from _insicium_, from _salsicium_, from _salsum insicium_, cut salt meat; old French _salcisse_, _saulcisse_, modern French _saucisse_, meaning sausage. This is a confirmation of the meaning of the word _salsum_--meaning primarily salt meat, bacon in particular. It has survived in modern French terminology in _sales_ more specially _pet.i.ts sales_--small rashers of bacon. _Salsum_ has caused much confusion in some later formulae. Cf. notes to Nos. 148, 150, 152.

[2] V. fish forcemeats, fish b.a.l.l.s, fish cakes and similar preparations.

[3] Scallops and oysters wanting in List. and G.-V.

[4] Wanting in List.

[42] CUTTLE-FISH CROQUETTES _ISICIA DE LOLLIGINE_ [1]

THE MEAT IS SEPARATED FROM BONES, SKIN [and refuse] CHOPPED FINE AND POUNDED IN THE MORTAR. SHAPE THE FORCEMEAT INTO NEAT CROQUETTES [2]

AND COOK THEM IN LIQUAMEN [3].

THEY ARE DISPLAYED NICELY ON A LARGE DISH.

V. This formula plainly calls for fish b.a.l.l.s braised or stewed in broth. Ordinarily we would boil the fish first and then separate the meat from the bones, shred or chop it fine, bind with cream sauce, flour and eggs; some add potatoes as a binder, and fry.

[1] G.-V. _lolligine_; Tor. _loligine_, which is correctly spelled.

[2] Tac. and Tor. _in pulmento tundes_. G.-V. _fulmento_ which is wrong. _Pulmentum_, abbreviated for _pulpamentum_, from _pulpa_. It means a fleshy piece of fish or meat, a tid-bit.

[3] The original says _in liquamine fricatur_--fry in l., which is impossible in the sense of the word, frying. Either "frying" here stands for cooking, stewing, braising, poaching, or else the so mysterious _liquamen_ must here mean deep fat. Most likely these fish forcemeat b.a.l.l.s were fried in olive oil. Cf. ?

No. 46.

[43] LOBSTER OR CRABMEAT CROQUETTES _ISICIA DE SCILLIS VEL DE CAMMARIS AMPLIS_ [1]

THE Sh.e.l.lS OF THE LOBSTERS OR CRABS [which are cooked] ARE BROKEN, THE MEAT EXTRACTED FROM THE HEAD AND POUNDED IN THE MORTAR WITH PEPPER AND THE BEST KIND OF BROTH. THIS PULP [is shaped into neat little cakes which are fried] AND SERVED UP NICELY [2].

[1] _Scilla_ or _squilla_, squill, sea-onion, also a crab, _cammarus amplus_, large lobster, langouste, spiny lobster.

[2] The original omits the mode of cooking the fish. A case where it is taken for granted that the sh.e.l.lfish is boiled in water alive. The broth (_liquamen_) is a thick fish sauce in this case, serving as a binder for the meat, conforming to present methods.

Dann. Fill this into sausage casing. There is no authority for this.

[44] LIVER KROMESKIS _OMENTATA_ [1]

OMENTATA ARE MADE IN THIS MANNER: [lightly] FRY PORK LIVER, REMOVE SKIN AND SINEWS FIRST [2]. CRUSH PEPPER AND RUE IN A MORTAR WITH [a little] BROTH, THEN ADD THE LIVER, POUND AND MIX. THIS PULP SHAPE INTO SMALL SAUSAGE, WRAP EACH IN CAUL AND LAUREL LEAVES AND HANG THEM UP TO BE SMOKED. WHENEVER YOU WANT AND WHEN READY TO ENJOY THEM TAKE THEM OUT OF THE SMOKE, FRY THEM AGAIN, AND ADD GRAVY [3].

[1] From _omentum_--caul, the membrane enclosing the bowels. Hence "omen." Minced meats wrapped in caul and fried are kromeskis in kitchen terminology.

[2] First--an after thought so characteristic in culinary literature, proof enough that this formula originated in a kitchen. The _ante tamen_ of the original belongs to this sentence, not to the next, as the editors have it.

[3] Wanting in G.-V. The original continues without interruption to the next, an entirely new formula.

[45] [BRAIN SAUSAGE]

[_ISICIA DE CEREBELLIS_] [1]

PUT IN THE MORTAR PEPPER, LOVAGE AND ORIGANY, MOISTEN WITH BROTH AND RUB; ADD COOKED BRAINS AND MIX DILIGENTLY SO THAT THERE BE NO LUMPS.

INCORPORATE FIVE EGGS AND CONTINUE MIXING WELL TO HAVE A GOOD FORCEMEAT WHICH YOU MAY THIN WITH BROTH. SPREAD THIS OUT IN A METAL PAN, COOK, AND WHEN COOKED [cold] UNMOULD IT ONTO A CLEAN TABLE. CUT INTO HANDY SIZE. [Now prepare a sauce] PUT IN THE MORTAR PEPPER, LOVAGE AND ORIGANY, CRUSH, MIX WITH BROTH PUT INTO A SAUCE PAN, BOIL, THICKEN AND STRAIN. HEAT THE PIECES OF BRAIN PUDDING IN THIS SAUCE THOROUGHLY, DISH THEM UP, SPRINKLED WITH PEPPER, IN A MUSHROOM DISH [2].

[1] The Original has no t.i.tle for this dish.

[2] List. and G.-V. here start the next formula, but Tor. continues without interruption. Cf. Note 2 to No.

46.

[46] A DISH OF SCALLOPS _ISICIA EX SPONDYLIS_ [1]

[Lightly] COOK SCALLOPS [or the firm part of oysters] REMOVE THE HARD AND OBJECTIONABLE PARTS, MINCE THE MEAT VERY FINE, MIX THIS WITH COOKED SPELT AND EGGS, SEASON WITH PEPPER, [shape into croquettes and wrap] IN CAUL, FRY, UNDERLAY A RICH FISH SAUCE AND SERVE AS A DELICIOUS ENTReE [2].

[1] Sch. _sfondilis_; G.-V. _sphondylis_; List.

_spongiolis_. According to Lister, this is a dish of mushrooms, but he is wrong. He directs to remove sinews when mushrooms haven't any, but sh.e.l.lfish have. Torinus is correct. Gollmer makes the same mistake, believing _spondyli_ to be identical with _spongioli_. He and Danneil take _elixata_ for "choice" when this plainly means "cooked." If one were not sure of either word, the nature of the subject would leave no room for any doubt.

Cf. note 1 to Nos. 115-121.

[2] We may find a reason for the combination of these last three distinctly different formulae into one article in the following explanation. It is possible that these dishes were served together as one course, even on one platter, thus const.i.tuting a single dish, as it were.

Such a dish would strongly resemble platters of "_fritures_" and "_fritto misto_" (mixed fried foods) esteemed in France and Italy. We, too, have "Sh.o.r.e Dinners" and other "Combination Platters" with lobster, crabs, scallops, shrimps, mushrooms, tomatoes--each article prepared separately, but when served together will form an integral part of ONE dish.

The above formulae, though somewhat incomplete, are good and gastronomically correct. A combination of these _isicia_ such as we here suggest would be entirely feasible and would in fact make a dish of great refinement, taxing the magiric artist's skill to the utmost. We would cla.s.s them among the _entremets chauds_ which are often used on a buffet table or as hot _hors d'uvres_.

[47] ANOTHER KIND OF KROMESKIS [1]