In Torpedine (Of Ray) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic dish of poached skate or ray wings served with an onion, honey, wine, pepper and rue sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Of Ray (In Torpedine).
In torpedine: teritur piper, ruta, cepula arida. mel, liquamen, passum, vinum modice, olei boni guttas. cum bullire coeperit, amulo obligas.
Translation
Of Ray: Grind pepper, rue and a small dried onion. Add honey, fish stock, passum, a little wine and drops of good quality olive oil. When it begins to boil, thicken with starch.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 skate or ray wings
100ml white wine
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 small leeks, halved lengthways
sea salt, to taste
For the Sauce:
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
pinch of rue (or rosemary)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp honey
200ml reserved stock from the fish
60ml white wine
60ml passum
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp cornflour (originally wheat starch, amulum, would have been used)
Method:
Place the skate wings in a fish kettle or large oven-proof casserole. Add the wine, vinegar and leeks then pour over just enough water to cover. Season to taste, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the fish is tender.
In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Pound together the black pepper, rue and onion in a mortar until you have a smooth paste. Work in the honey, wine and passum then turn into a saucepan and add the olive oil and 200ml stock from the poached fish. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. At this point, mix the cornflour to a smooth slurry with 2 tbsp of water. Whisk this into the sauce, bring back to a simmer and cook until thickened.
Arrange the poached fish on a serving dish, pour over the sauce and serve immediately.
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