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In Struthione elixo (Boiled Ostrich)

In Struthione elixo (Boiled Ostrich) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for dish of chicken (actually ostrich or guinea fowl in the original) boiled in water and served with a spiced sauce of dates, vinegar, honey, olive oil and fish sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: In Struthione elixo.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

30 minutes

Total Time:

50 minutes

Serves:

2

Rating:

Tags : Sauce RecipesSpice RecipesChicken RecipesFowl RecipesAncient Roman Recipes

The original recipe calls for ostrich in this dish (and though available ostrich is both a rare and an expensive meat. As I lived in South Africa for quite a while, I prepared this there using ostrich. As a substitute I would suggest guine fowl, though chicken would work at a pinch.

Original Recipe

In Struthione elixo (from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria)

In struthione elixo: piper, mentam, cuminum assum, apii semen, dactilos vel caryotas, mel, acetum, passum, liquamen et oleum modice. et in caccabo facies ut bulliat. amulo obligas, et sic partes struthionis in lance perfundis, et desuper piper aspargis. si autem in condituram coquere volueris, alicam addis.

Translation

A stock in which to cook ostrich: pepper, mint, cumin, leeks, celery seed, dates, honey, vinegar, raisin wine, broth, a little oil. Boil this in the stock kettle with the ostrich, remove the bird when done, strain the liquid thicken with wheat starch. To this sauce add the ostrich meat cut in convenient pieces, sprinkle with pepper. If you wish it more seasoned or tasty, add garlic during cooking.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

300g ostrich steaks cut into pieces (or small guineafowl)
a pinch each of pepper, cumin, thyme, celery seeds, fennel seeds, mint and rue
1 drop asafoetida essence
30ml vinegar
100g stoned dates
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garum (or Nam Pla)
1 tbsp wheat starch blended to a slurry with 2 tbsp water

Method:

Put the ostrich meat into a large stock pot, cover with water and simmer gently for 25 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Drain the bird and dry well (reserve the stock).

Grind the spices in a pestle and mortar and add the asafoetida. Add the vinegar and dates and pound into a paste. Stir the honey, oil and garum into 500ml of the reserved stock. Add the wheat starch slurry and simmer until the sauce is thickened.

Cut the ostrich into bite-sized pieces, add to the sauce and allow to heat through. This dish can be served either hot or cold.
Find more recipes from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria along with information on Apicius and his cookbook, all part of this site's Ancient Roman recipes collection.