SC - Apicius Fried Chicken

[Mordonna22 at aol.com]

I dunno about this Vehling guy

>From Apicius; Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome translated by Vehling,
pg. 154, recipe 250

CHICKEN AND CREAM SAUCE [1]
PULLUS LEUCOZOMUS [2]

TAKE A CHICKEN AND PREPARE IT AS ABOVE.  EMPTY IT THROUGH THE APERATURE OF THE
NECK SO THAT NONE OF THE ENTRAILS REMAIN.  TAKE [a little] WATER [3] AND
PLENTY OF SPANISH OIL, STIR, COOK TOGETHER UNTIL ALL MOISTURE IS EVAPORATED
[4] WHEN THIS IS DONE, TAKE THE CHICKEN OUT, SO THAT THE GREATEST POSSIBLE
AMOUNT OF OIL REMAINS BEHIND [5] SPRINKLE WITH PEPPER AND SERVE [6]

[1] The ancient version of Chicken a la Maryland, Wiener Blackhahndl, etc.

[2] tor. leocozymus; from the Greek leucozomos, prepared with white sauce.
The formula for the cream sauce is lacking here.  Cf. Rx no. 245

[3] The use of water to clarify the oil which is to serve as a deep frying fat
is an ingenious idea, little practised today.  It surely saves the fat or oil,
prevents premature burning or blackening by frequent use, and gives a better
tasting friture.  The above recipe is a fragment, but even this reveals the
extraordinary knowledge of culinary principles of Apicius who reveals himself
to us as a master of well-understood principles of good cookery that are so
often ignored today, Cf. Note 5 to Rx. no. 497

[4] the recipe fails to state that the chicken must be breaded, or that the
pieces if chicken be turned in flour, etc., and fried in the oil."
It sure does fail to state that.  So where does he get it?
"[5] another vital rule of deep fat frying not stated, or rather stated in the
language of the kitchen, namely that the chicken must be crisp, dry, that is,
not saturated with oil, which of course every good fry cook knows
[6] With the cream sauce, prepared separately, spread on the platter, with the
fried chicken inside, or the sauce in a separate dish, we have here a very
close resemblance to a very popular modern dish

Vehling's notes indicate a Chicken Fricassee.
My redaction of his translation of the recipe is to simply deep fry the
unseasoned chicken in olive oil until done inside, remove, and sprinkle with
pepper.
Still not Southern Fried Chicken, but definitely something modern palates
would find familiar, with perhaps the addition of a bit of salt.

Mordonna
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