Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Part 55

PREPARE [as above] INJECT [the following dressing made of] PEPPER, RUE, ONIONS, SATURY, THE PIG'S OWN GRAVY [and] EGGS THROUGH THE EAR [2] AND OF PEPPER, BROTH AND A LITTLE WINE [make a sauce which is served] IN THE SAUCE BOAT [3]; AND ENJOY IT.

[1] Tor. _Caesia.n.u.s_; Tac. _cesinianum_; G.-V.

_Celsinianum_. Lister goes far out of his way to prove that the man for whom this dish was named was Celsinus.

He cites a very amusing bit of ancient humor by Petrus Lambecius, given below.

[2] Really a dressing in a liquid state when raw, a custard syringed into the carca.s.s, which congeals during coction. Eggs must be in proper proportion to the other liquids. The pig thus filled is either steamed, roasted or baked, well protected by b.u.t.tered or oiled paper--all of which the ancient author failed to state, as a matter of course.

[3] _acetabulum._

"The Porker's Last Will and Testament"

by Petrus Lambecius

(V. Barnab. Brissonium de Formulis lib. VII, p. 677) [ex Lister, 1705, p. 196; Lister, 1709, p. 236].

"I, M. Grunter Corocotta Porker, do hereby make my last will and testament. Incapable of writing in my own hand, I have dictated what is to be set down:

"The Chief Cook sayeth: 'Come here, you--who has upset this house, you nuissance, you porker! I'll deprive you of your life this day!'

"Corocotta Porker sayeth: 'What, perchance, have I done?

In what way, please, have I sinned? Have I with my feet perhaps smashed your crockery? I beg of you, Mr. Cook, I entreat you, if such be the case, kindly grant the supplicant a reprieve.'

"The Chief Cook sayeth: 'Go over there, boy! Fetch me from the kitchen that slaughtering-knife. I'm just itching to give this porker a blood-bath!'

"Mr. Porker, realizing that this is the season when cabbage sprouts are abundant, and visualizing himself potted and peppered, and furthermore seeing that death is inevitable, asks for time and begs of the cook whether it was possible to make a will. This granted, he calls out with a loud voice to his parents to save for them the food that was to have been his own in the future, to wit:

"To my father, Mr. Genuine Bacon-Fat, appointed by me in my last will I give and bequeath: thirty measures of acorns; and to my mother, Mrs. Old-Timer Sow, appointed by me in my last will, I give and bequeath: forty measures of Spartan wheat; and to my sister, Cry-Baby, appointed by me in my last will, whose wedding, alas! I cannot attend, I give and bequeath: thirty measures of barley; and of my n.o.bler parts and property I give and bequeath, to the cobbler: my bristles; to the brawlers, my jaw-bones; to the deaf, my ears; to the shyster lawyers, my tongue; to the cow-herds, my intestines; to the sausage makers, my thighs; to the ladies, my tenderloins; to the boys, my bladder; to the girls, my little pig's tail; to the dancers, my muscles; to the runners and hunters, my knuckles; to the hired man, my hoofs; and to the cook--though not to be named--I give and bequeath and transmit my belly and appendage which I have dragged with me from the rotten oak bottoms to the pig's sty, for him to tie around his neck and to hang himself with.

"I wish to erect a monument to myself, inscribed with golden letters: 'M. Grunter Corocotta Porker lived nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine years, and had he lived another half year, a thousand years would have been nearly completed.'

"I ask of you who love me best, you who live like me, I ask you: will not my name remain to be eulogized in all eternity? if you only will prepare my body properly and flavor it well with good condiments, nuts, pepper and honey!

"My master and my relatives, all of you who have witnessed this execution of my last will and testament, you are requested to sign.

"(Signed) Hard Sausage Match Maker Fat Bacon Bacon Rind Celsinus Meat Ball Sprout Cabbage."

Thus far the story by Petrus Lambecius. The fifth of the signatories of the Porker's Testament is Celsinus; and since the other names are fict.i.tious it is quite possible that Lambecius had a special purpose in pointing out the man for whom the dish, Porcellus Celsinia.n.u.s,--Suckling Pig a la Celsinus--was named.

Celsinus was counsellor for Aurelia.n.u.s, the emperor.

[377] ROAST PIG _PORCELLUM a.s.sUM_

CRUSH PEPPER, RUE, SATURY, ONIONS, HARD YOLKS OF EGG, BROTH, WINE, OIL, SPICES; BOIL THESE INGREDIENTS, POUR OVER THE [roast] PIG IN THE SAUCE PAN AND SERVE.

[378] PIG a LA JARDINIeRE _PORCELLUM HORTOLANUM_ [1]

THE PIG IS BONED THROUGH THE THROAT AND FILLED WITH QUENELLES OF CHICKEN FORCEMEAT, FINELY CUT [roast] THRUSHES, FIG-p.e.c.k.e.rS, LITTLE SAUSAGE CAKES, MADE OF THE PIG'S MEAT, LUCANIAN SAUSAGE, STONED DATES, EDIBLE BULBS [glazed onions] SNAILS TAKEN OUT OF THE Sh.e.l.l [and poached] MALLOWS, LEEKS, BEETS, CELERY, COOKED SPROUTS, CORIANDER, WHOLE PEPPER, NUTS, 15 EGGS POURED OVER, BROTH, WHICH IS SPICED WITH PEPPER, AND DILUTED WITH 3 EGGS; THEREUPON SEW IT TIGHT, STIFFEN, AND ROAST IN THE OVEN. WHEN DONE, OPEN THE BACK [of the pig] AND POUR OVER THE FOLLOWING SAUCE: CRUSHED PEPPER, RUE, BROTH, RAISIN WINE, HONEY AND A LITTLE OIL, WHICH WHEN BOILING IS TIED WITH ROUX [2].

[1] Tor. _Hortula.n.u.s_; Gardener's style, the French equivalent _Jardiniere_, a very common name for all dishes containing young vegetables. However, in the above rich formula there is very little to remind us of the gardener's style, excepting the last part of the formula, enumerating a number of fresh vegetables. It is unthinkable for any gourmet to incorporate these with the rich dressing. The vegetables should be used as a garnish for the finished roast. This leads us to believe that the above is really two distinct formulae, or that the vegetables were intended for garniture.

[2] This extraordinary and rich dressing, perfectly feasible and admirable when compared with our own "Toulouse," "Financiere," "Chipolata," can be palatable only when each component part is cooked separately before being put into the pig. The eggs must be whipped and diluted with broth and poured over the filling to serve as binder. The pig must be parboiled before filling, and the final cooking or roasting must be done very slowly and carefully--procedure not stated by the original which it takes for granted.

[379] COLD SAUCE FOR BOILED SUCKLING PIG _JUS PORRO _[1]_ FRIGIDUM IN PORCELLUM ELIXUM_

CRUSH PEPPER, CARRAWAY, DILL, LITTLE ORIGANY, PINE NUTS, MOISTEN WITH VINEGAR, BROTH [2], DATE WINE, HONEY, PREPARED MUSTARD; SPRINKLE WITH A LITTLE OIL, PEPPER, AND SERVE.

[1] Tor. only; _porr_ indicating that the sauce may also be served with the foregoing. Wanting in List. _et al._

[2] Wanting in Tor.

[380] SMOKED PIG a LA TRAJa.n.u.s _PORCELLUM TRAIANUM_ [1]

MAKE THUS: BONE THE PIG, TREAT IT AS FOR STEWING IN WINE [? No.

375, i.e. marinate for some time in spices, herbs and wine] THEREUPON HANG IT IN THE SMOKE HOUSE [2] NEXT BOIL IT IN SALT WATER AND SERVE THUS [3] ON A LARGE PLATTER [4].

[1] Tor. and Tac. _traganum_.

[2] _ad fumum suspendes_; G.-V. _et adpendeas, et quantum adpendeas, tantum salis in ollam mittes_--pa.s.sage wanting in other texts, meaning, probably, that the more pigs are used for smoking the more salt must be used for pickling which is a matter of course, or, the heavier the pig, ...

[3] Tor. _atque ita in lance efferes_; Tac. & _sic eum ..._; G.-V. _et sicc.u.m in lance inferes_.

[4] Hum. _salso recente_, with fresh salt pork. Tor.

_c.u.m salsamento istoc recenti_ and Tor. continues without interruption, indicating, perhaps, that the following formula is to be served, or treated (boiled) like the above.

[381] MILK-FED PIG _IN PORCELLO LACTANTE_ [1]

ONE OUNCE OF PEPPER, A PINT OF WINE, A RATHER LARGE GLa.s.s OF THE BEST OIL, A GLa.s.s OF BROTH [2], AND RATHER LESS THAN A GLa.s.s OF VINEGAR [3].

[1] G.-V. _lactans_, suckling, milk-fed; other texts: _lactente_: Dann. wild boar.

[2] wanting in Tac. and Tor.

[3] a variant of the foregoing, a mild pickling solution for extremely young suckling pigs, prior to their smoking or boiling, or both, which the original does not state.

Schuch and his disciple Danneil, have inserted here seven more pork formulae (Sch. p. 179, ? Nos. 388-394) taken from the Excerpts of Vinidarius, found at the conclusion of the Apicius formulae.

VIII

HARE _LEPOREM_