Name: Fish-pickle Sauce for Boiled Meat (Ius in elixam allecatum)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Roman
Ingredients: 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper; 1/2 tsp lovage seeds (or celery seeds); 1/4 tsp caraway seeds; 1/2 tsp celery seeds; 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 3 tbsp dates, chopped; 2 tbsp liquamen (fish pickle); 1 tbsp honey; 120ml white wine; 250ml good meat stock; 2 tsp olive oil; 4 tbsp finely-chopped celery (with leaves), to garnish

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Ius in elixam allecatum (Fish-pickle Sauce for Boiled Meat)

Ius in elixam allecatum (Fish-pickle Sauce for Boiled Meat) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a fish-pickle based sauce with spices, shallots and dates typically served with boiled meats. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Fish-pickle Sauce for Boiled Meat (Ius in elixam allecatum).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

40 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Sauce Recipes Spice Recipes Vegetable Recipes Ancient Roman Recipes

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Original Recipe

Ius in elixam allecatum (from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria) VII, vi, 14

Ius in elixam allecatum: piper, ligusticum, careum, apii semen, thymum, cepulam, dactilum, allecem colatum. melle et vinum temperas. apium viridem incisum super aspargis, oleum mittis et inferes.

Translation

Fish-pickle Sauce for Boiled Meat: [Combine] pepper, lovage, caraway, celery seeds, thyme, shallots, dates and strained fish-sauce. Blend with honey and wine. Sprinkle chopped fresh green celery [over the sauce]. Add oil and serve.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp lovage seeds (or celery seeds)
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 tbsp dates, chopped
2 tbsp liquamen (fish pickle)
1 tbsp honey
120ml white wine
250ml good meat stock
2 tsp olive oil
4 tbsp finely-chopped celery (with leaves), to garnish

Method:

Pound together the black pepper, lovage seeds, caraway seeds, celery seeds and thyme in a mortar. Add the shallots and dates and pound until smooth then work in the liquamen, honey and white wine.

Turn into a pan and whisk in the meat stock. Bring to a boil then take off the heat. Finish cooking your meat then transfer to the sauce. Return the sauce to the heat, bring to a boil and add the olive oil. Continue cooking until the volume of liquid has reduced by half.

Turn the meat and sauce mixture onto a serving dish. Garnish with the chopped celery and bring to the table.

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.