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Pullus Vardanus (Chicken à la Varus)
Pullus Vardanus (Chicken à la Varus) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for baked chicken served with a milk, boiled egg and pine nut sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Pullus Vardanus.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
110 minutes
Total Time:
130 minutes
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Chicken RecipesFowl RecipesAncient Roman Recipes
Original Recipe
Pullus Vardanus: pullum coques iure hoc: liquamine, oleo, vino, cui mittis fasciculum porri, coriandri, satureiae. cum coctus fuerit, teres piper, nucleos cyathos duos et ius de suo sibi suffundis et fasciculos proicies. lac temperas, et reexinanies [in] mortarium supra pullum, ut ferveat. obligas eundem albamentis ovorum tritis, ponis in lance et iure supra scripto perfundis. hoc ius candidum appellatur.
Translation
Chicken à la Varus: Cook the chicken in this stock: broth, oil, wine, a bunch of leeks, coriander, savory; when done, crush pepper, nuts with 2glasses of water and the juice of the chicken. Retire the bunches of greens, add milk to taste. The things crushed in the mortar add to the chicken and cook it together: thicken the sauce with beaten whites of egg and pour the sauce over the chicken. This is called "white sauce."
Though based on the work of the Roman fourth-century CE gastronome,
Apicius this recipe also employs a description given in a poem by the first-century CE poet, Martial.
Ingredients:
1.4 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks
3 tbsp
liquamen
1Û tbsp olive oil
250ml fruity white wine (eg Chablis)
Û tsp
white peppercorns
150g pine nuts
whites of two boiled eggs, mashed with a fork
60ml cooking liquid
60ml/120ml milk
Method:
Cook the chicken by placing in a roasting tin, covering with the liquamen, olive oil and white wine. Cover with a lid and bake at 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) for 90 minutes or until the chicken is done. Drain the cooking liquor and reserve.
Meanwhile, add the peppercorns, pine nuts, and egg whites to a pan. Pour the remaining cooking liquor from the chicken into this along with 60ml milk (for a thick sauce) or 120ml milk for a more liquid sauce. Gently heat the mixture, stirring all the time. When it is thick enough place the chicken pieces on a plate and cover with the sauce.
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.
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