Omentata ita Fiunt (Smoked Liver Meatballs) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic sausage made from liver forcemeat with rue and bayleaves that are smoked before frying. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Smoked Liver Sausages (Omentata ita Fiunt).
Omentata ita fiunt: assas iecur porcinum et [eum] enervas. ante tamen teres piper, rutam, liquamen. et sic superimmittis iecur et teres et misces, sicut pulpa omentata, et singula involvuntur folia lauri, et ad fumum suspenduntur quamdiu voles. cum manducare volueris, tolles de fumo et denuo assas.
Translation
Meatballs are made thus: Fry the liver of a pig and remove the membranes. Previously, mix together pepper, rue and liquamen. Pour this over the liver and pound and mix thoroughly, as if you were making sausages. Wrap each in caul and bay leaves and suspend in smoke for as long as you desire. When ready to eat, take out of the smoke, and fry them again.
Modern Redaction
These are classic Roman omentata, forcemeat shaped into balls and covered in caul fat. These are smoked to add flavour.
Ingredients:
300g pork liver
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried rue (or rosemary), crumbled
2 dried bayleaves, crumbled
1 egg, beaten
60g fine breadcrumbs
4 tbsp liquamen caul fat or sausage casings
oil for frying
Method:
Slice the river and fry in the olive oil until done. Chop the liver very finely then pound in a mortar with the black pepper, rue (or rosemary) and crumbled bayleaves until smooth. Work in the liquamen and the breadcrumbs then work in the beaten egg to bind the mixture.
Either stuff into casings and shape into sausages, or shape into sausages and wrap in caul fat. Now smoke the sausages in a home-made hot smoker. In this case, if unsung a hot smoker smoke at a lower temperature and for longer than you normally would and use oak, beech or ash wood chips.
When the sausages have acquired as much flavour as you need, remove from the smoker, fry in oil and serve.
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