Name: Alexandrine Sauce for Baked Fish (Ius Alexandrinum in Pisce Asso)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Roman
Ingredients: 1kg fish, baked in the oven; 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper; 1 tsp lovage seeds (or celery seeds); 1/4 tsp cumin seeds; 1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled; 1/2 tsp celery seeds; 2 tbsp shallots, finely chopped; 3 damson plums, pitted and chopped; 2 tbsp mulsum (or mead); 1 tsp white wine vinegar; 120ml defritum; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp liquamen (fish sauce); 250ml fish stock

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Ius Alexandrinum in Pisce Asso (Alexandrine Sauce for Baked Fish)

Ius Alexandrinum in Pisce Asso (Alexandrine Sauce for Baked Fish) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic sauce of onion, damson plums and spices in a wine, vinegar, stock and olive oil base that's intended to be served with baked fish. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Alexandrine Sauce for Baked Fish (Ius Alexandrinum in Pisce Asso).

prep time

15 minutes

cook time

30 minutes

Total Time:

45 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Sauce Recipes Spice Recipes Ancient Roman Recipes

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Original Recipe

Ius Alexandrinum in Pisce Asso (from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria) X, i, 6

Ius Alexandrinum in pisce asso: piper, cepam siccam, ligusticum, cuminum, origanum, apii semen, pruna damascena enucleata, mulsum, acetum, liquamen, defritum, oleum, et coques.

Translation

Alexandrine Sauce for Baked Fish: [Combine] pepper, dried onion, lovage, cumin, oregano, celery seeds, pitted damsons, mulsum, vinegar, liquamen, defritum and olive oil then cook.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1kg fish, baked in the oven

1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp lovage seeds (or celery seeds)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 tsp celery seeds
2 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
3 damson plums, pitted and chopped
2 tbsp mulsum (or mead)
1 tsp white wine vinegar
120ml defritum
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp liquamen (fish sauce)
250ml fish stock

Method:

Combine the black pepper, lovage (or celery) seeds, cumin seeds, oregano and celery seeds in a mortar. Pound to grind then work in the shallots and plums and pound together. Mix in the mulsum, white wine vinegar and defritum then turn into a pan and whisk in the olive oil, liquamen and fish stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook gently for about 25 minutes, or until thickened.

Carefully transfer the fish to a serving dish, pour over the sauce and serve immediately.

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.