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Mullos Anethatos sic Facie (Red Mullets with Aniseed is Made Thus)

Mullos Anethatos sic Facie (Red Mullets with Aniseed is Made Thus) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic dish of red mullet fillets stewed in a blend of oil, stock, wine, aniseed and herbs that's finished with a spice, olive oil and vinegar blend and thickened with starch. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Red Mullets with Aniseed is Made Thus (Mullos Anethatos sic Facie).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

30 minutes

Total Time:

30 minutes

Serves:

4

Rating:

Tags : Sauce RecipesSpice RecipesHerb RecipesAncient Roman Recipes

Original Recipe

Mullos Anethatos sic Facie (from Vinidarius' Apici Excerpta) xiv

Mullos Anethatos sic Facies: Rades pisces, lavabis, in patinam componis, adicies oleum, liquamen, vinum, fasciculos porri et coriandri, mittes ut coquatur. adicies piper in mortario, fricabis, adicies oleum et partem aceti, vino passo temperabis. traicies in caccabum, ponis ut ferveat. amulo obligabis et patinam piscium perfundis. insuper piper aspargis.

Translation

Red Mullets with Aniseed is Made Thus: Scale and wash the fish then arrange in a stewing pan. Add olive oil, liquamen, wine [, aniseed] and a faggot of chives and coriander. Cook. Put pepper in a mortar, bruise and add olive oil and measures of vinegar, wine and passum then mix. Pour into a saucepan and heat. Thicken the sauce with starch and pour it over the pan of [cooked] fish. Sprinkle with pepper [and serve].

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1 kg red mullet fillets
4 tbsp olive oil
200ml fish stock
4 tbsp liquamen (fish sauce)
200ml white wine
200ml water
pinch of ground aniseed
1 bouquet garni made by tying together chives and coriander

1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp passum
1 tbsp cornflour (originally amulum, wheat starch, would have been used)
freshly-ground black pepper, to garnish

Method:

Arrange the red mullet fillets in a flame-proof casserole. Add the olive oil, fish stock, liquamen, white wine, ground aniseed and water. Tuck in the bouquet garni then bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the fish is tender and flakes with a fork.

Crush the black peppercorns in a mortar and mix with the olive oil, white wine vinegar, white wine and passum. Pour this into a saucepan then strain in the stock from the fish. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Whisk the cornflour to a smooth slurry with 4 tbsp water then whisk this mixture into your sauce. Bring back to a simmer and cook until thickened.

Arrange the fish pieces on a serving dish, pour over the thickened sauce then garnish with freshly-ground black pepper and serve.

Find more recipes from Vinidarius' Apici Excerpta on this site's page dedicated to the Vinidarius Excerpts from Apicius with Translations.