[Sca-cooks] Fw: Roman Cookery - Pear Patina (Pre-period OT)

[Susan Laing]

Sorry if this one turns up twice - not sure if the original post made it to
the list or not (computer has been munching on messages again <sniffle>)

marion

----- Original Message -----
From: Susan Laing <paxford at gil.com.au>
To: scacooks <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2002 12:51 PM
Subject: Roman Cookery - Pear Patina (Pre-period OT)


> Hi Everyone - Here's another of the recipes I made for my recent "Let's
eat
> Roman" dinner party...
>
> As before I followed the authors redacted version (I wanted to see how
their
> version turns out versus how I would then make it myself - as to date I
> haven't yet remade this cause of a few niggling questions)
>
> I've found that Ilaria Gozzina Giacosa - author of "A Taste of Ancient
Rome"
> seems to have a positive dislike of Garum (Liquamen) and constanly omits
it
> from her recipes - I substituted the pear Liquamen (from Mark Grant's
"Roman
> Cookery") instead of a fish based one cause I had it to hand, so I'm not
> sure if I've altered the final taste of the dish but it really was Tre
> nummy!
>
> The questions I need to ask are - why would the author of TAR add in the
> milk? - is this to make it more of a "pudding" type dessert?  (I had extra
> goat milk left from my "Roman Bread making experiment" [more of that in a
> later post] so used it instead of cows milk)
>
> And...  does anyone know what is the dish supposed to end up like? - I
> cooked it a little past the specified time and the result was that it was
> slightly set around the edges of the dish but still gloopy in the middle.
> We ate it as it was and it was devine (being anachromistic we added cream
> with it YUMM!).  Does anyone know if a traditional "Patina" is a set
desert
> or a goopy one??
>
> Mari
> (planning on remaking it possibly next week if I can rat up some more
> tasters :-p)
>
> ***********
> Pear Patina (Apicius #162)
>  A Taste of Ancient Rome by Ilaria Gozzini Giacosa, Anna Herklotz
> (Translator)
>     University of Chicago Press ISBN:0226290328 Reprint edition (March
1994)
>
> Patina de piris: Pira elixa et purgata e medio teres com pipere, cumino,
> melle, passo, liquamine, oleo modico, Ovis missis patinam facies, piper
> super aspargis et inferes.
>
> A pear Patina: Grind boiled and cored pears with pepper, cumin, honey,
> passum, garum, and a bit of oil.  When the eggs have been added, make a
> patina, sprinkle pepper over, and serve.
>
> Serves 4
> 4 pears
> water or white wine (in which to cook the pears)
> 1 Tbsp honey
> pinch each of pepper and cumin
> ½ cup passum (see recipe below)
> 1 tbsp garum (see recipe for liquamen ex Piris below)
> 3 eggs
> 1 ½ cups milk (optional) [I used goats milk]
> 1 tbsp olive oil
>
> Poach the whole pears in water or white wine. When they are done, peel and
> core them, then crush them into a puree, mixing in the honey, pepper,
cumin,
> and passum. (the author of the book recommends to omit the garum but I
used
> the sweet garum instead).
>
> Beat the eggs, adding the milk if desired. Then blend this into the pear
> mixture with the olive oil. Pour into a casserole dish and bake for around
> 20 minutes at 350F.
>
> ********************************
> Passum (unsweetened version is Sapa)
> *author of "Taste of Ancient Rome" suggests using Raisin wine here.  Sapa
> recipe from "Roman Cookery: Ancient Recipes for Modern Kitchens" by Mark
> Grant.
> Sweetened version of Passum from "The Roman Basics" page by John David of
> "The Foody UK & Ireland" ? URL ? http://thefoody.com/hsoup/roman.html
>
> 1 litre Red grape juice
> Honey
>
> Vigorously boil the grape juice until liquid is reduced by 1/3rd.
> Add honey to sweeten taste.
> Leave to cool and store in a sterilised bottle.
>
> *****************************
> *to make Liquamen ex Piris (Piquant pear Sauce)
> (from: Roman Cookery: Ancient Recipes for Modern Kitchens by Mark Grant
> Interlink Pub Group  ISBN:1897959397 (July 2000)
>
> From Palladius' "On Agriculture" (4th cent. A.D)  "A Liquamen from pears
> suitable for those avoiding meat can be made like this: the ripest pears
are
> mashed with pure salt.  When their flesh has been pulped, leave to mature
> either in small wooden tubs or in earthenware pots that have been treated
> with pitch. After the third month the suspended flesh releases a juice of
> pleasant taste and
> of whiteish colour. Alternatively, the following works well: at the moment
> when the pears are being salted you should stir in some rather dark wine'
>
> The Author of "Roman Cookery" Mark Grant suggests the following faster
> method
> 125ml red wine
> 6 large pears
> 700ml water
> 400grams sea salt
>
> Take a large pan and pour in the water and sea salt. Dissolve the sea salt
> in the water over a low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent a crust
from
> building up on the side of the pan. Meanwhile core the pears and pulp them
> in a blender. When the salt has dissolved in the water, add the pear pulp
> and the wine.  Simmer gently for half an hour, giving the mixture a stir
> once or twice,
> then leave to cool.  When cold, decant into sterilised jars ready for use
in
> cooking.
>