Patinam ex Lacte (Milk Casserole) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic layered dish of greens, vegetables, seafood and meat cooked in an egg custard flavoured with pepper, lovage, celery and asafoetida. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Milk Casserole (Patinam ex Lacte).
Patinam ex lacte: nucleos infundes et siccas. echinos recentes iam praeparatos habebis. accipies patinam, et in eam compones singula infra scripta. mediana malvarum et betarum et porros maturos, apios, holus molle et viridia elixa, pullum carptum ex iure coctum, cerebelIa elixa, lucanicas, ova dura per medium incisa. mittes longaones porcinos ex iure Terentino farsos, coctos, concisos, iecinera pullorum, pulpas piscis aselli fricti, urticas marinas, pulpas ostreorum, caseos recentes. alternis compones, nucleos et piper integrum asparges. ius tale perfundes: piper, ligusticum, apii semen, silfi. coques. at, ubi cocta fuerit, laetem colas,cui cruda ova commisces, ut unum corpus fiat, et super illa omnia perfundes. cum cocta fuerit, addes echinos recentiores, piper asparges et inferes.
Translation
Milk Casserole: Soak pine-nuts and let them dry. Have fresh, unprepared, sea-urchins to hand. Take a shallow dish, and layer in it the following ingredients: mallow leaves and beetroots, mature leeks, celery sticks, vegetable purée, freshly-boiled greens, pieces of chicken cooked in their won juices, boiled brains, Lucanian sausages, hard-boiled eggs cut in halves, pork sausages stuffed with Terentian sauce cooked and sliced, chicken livers, fillets of fried and pounded hake, sea anemones, shucked oysters and fresh cheese. Arrange these ingredients in layers then scatter the pine nuts and peppercorns on top. Pour over a sauce made as follows: pepper, lovage, celery seed and silphium. [Blend together and] cook. When done, strain in milk to which you have mixed raw eggs [and stir] until smooth. Pour it over the dish then cook. When it has set, garnish with the fresh sea urchins, sprinkle season with pepper and serve.
Place the nuts in a bowl, cover with water and set aside to steep for 60 minutes. After this time drain them, mix with the black pepper and use this mix to season each layer of the casserole as they are added.
Take a flame-proof casserole dish and the steamed mallow or grape leaves to the base. Now layer in the beetroot, leeks, celery, pea purée, chicken, calf brains (or corned beef), Lucanian sausages, eggs, pork sausages (mixed with the Terentine sauce), chicken livers, cod fillets, oysters and sea anemones (if using). Be sure to sprinkle a little of the nut and pepper mix over each layer. Finish with the cottage cheese.
In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Pound the pepper, lovage seeds, celery seeds and asafoetida in a mortar and work in the milk. Beat the eggs in a bowl then whisk into the seasoned milk mixture.
Pour this sauce over the casserole then top with the sea urchins and cover securely with a lid. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for 60 minutes, or until the sauce has set and the vegetables and meats are cooked through. Serve immediately.
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