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Placenta (Cato's Layered Cheesecake)

Placenta (Cato's Layered Cheesecake) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe from Cato's De Agricultura for a layered dish of pastry sheets and unaged cheese baked in a testun. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Cato's Layered Cheesecake (Placenta).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

55 minutes

Total Time:

75 minutes

Serves:

6

Rating: 4.5 star rating

Tags : Cheese RecipesBaking RecipesCake RecipesAncient Roman Recipes


Original Recipe


This is a classic recipe from Marcus Porcius Cato's, De Agricultura 76.1.1.

LXXXV Placentam sic facito.

Farinae siligneae L. II, unde solum facias, in tracta farinae L. IIII et alicae primae L. II. Alicam in aquam infundito. Ubi bene mollis erit, in mortarium purum indito siccatoque bene. Deinde manibus depsito. Ubi bene subactum erit, farinae L. IIII paulatim addito. Id utrumque tracta facito. In qualo, ubi arescant, conponito. Ubi arebunt, conponito puriter. Cum facies singula tracta, ubi depsueris, panno oleo uncto tangito et circumtergeto ungitoque. Ubi tracta erunt, focum, ubi coquas, calfacito bene et testum. Postea farinae L. II conspargito condepsitoque. Inde facito solum tenue. Casei ovilli P: XIIII ne acidum et bene recens in aquam indito. Ibi macerato, aquam ter mutato. Inde eximito siccatoque bene paulatim manibus, siccum bene in mortarium inponito. Ubi omne caseum bene siccaveris, in mortarium purum manibus condepsito conminuitoque quam maxime. Deinde cribrum farinarium purum sumito caseumque per cribrum facito transeat in mortarium. Postea indito mellis boni P. IIII S. Id una bene conmisceto cum caseo. Postea in tabula pura, quae pateat P. I, ibi balteum ponito, folia laurea uncta supponito, placentam fingito. Tracta i singula in totum solum primum ponito, deinde de mortario tracta linito, tracta addito singulatim, item linito usque adeo, donec omne caseum cum melle abusus eris. In summum tracta singula indito, postea solum contrahito ornatoque focum deverrito temperatoque, tunc placentam inponito, testo caldo operito, pruna insuper et circum operito. Videto ut bene et otiose percoquas. Aperito, dum inspicias, bis aut ter. Ubi cocta erit, eximito et melle unguito. Haec erit placenta semodialis.

Translation


Make the placenta in this way.
Two pounds of superfine white wheat flour to prepare the bottom crust; for the sheets, four pounds of flour and two of first-quality alica. Soak the alica in water. When it is well softened, let it dry in a clean mortar. Knead it with your hands. When it is well kneaded, add the four pounds of flour a little at a time and make the sheets. Put them in a basket to dry. When they are dried, arrange them well. When you make any sheet, grease with an oiled cloth the work surface you are using to knead. When you have made the tracta [sheets], cook them in on the hearth warming well in the testum. Then prepare a thin bottom crust kneading two pounds of flour. Soak in water 14 pounds of fresh pecorino cheese and let it steep, changing three times the water. Remove it from the water and dry it for a while with your hands, then place it well dried in the mortar. When the cheese will be well dried, break and knead it with your hands in a clean mortar. Put the cheese in a clean flour sieve and force it through it into the mortar. Add four and a half pounds of good honey and mix it with the cheese. Then place the crust on a clean table one foot wide, with oiled bay laurel leaves put under it, and make the placenta. Place a single sheet on the crust, then spread the sheet with the cheese and honey mixture. Make this with one sheet at a time, until you will have used all the cheese with honey. On the top add a single sheet, then wrap and adorn the bottom crust. Clean and prepare the hearth, place the placenta on the testun base then cover with a hot testum, and place charcoal upon and around it. Check that it cooks well and slowly. Open to control 2 or 3 times. When it is well cooked, remove and pour upon honey. This will be a placenta half a modium big.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

700g fresh pecorino cheese
225g honey
100g white wheat flour (for the bottom crust)
200g white wheat flour
100g spelt flour (for the internal sheets)
bay laurel leaves

Method:

For the internal sheets pound in the mortar the spelt, paying attention not to reduce it into flour. Soak the broken grains in water for at least one day. Knead the white wheat flour with the spelt, adding a pinch of salt and, if necessary, a little water, until you obtain a smooth consistency. Now, roll six round sheets, not too thin, the same size as the bottom of your cake pan. Pre-cook singularly any sheet in a pan or a testum for a couple of minutes at low heat, without completely cooking them. Let the sheets cool and dry.

For the bottom crust Knead the white wheat flour with a pinch of salt and warm water for about 15-20 minutes, until obtaining a smooth consistency. Roll a thin circular sheet larger than the cake pan, enough to envelop all the layers of the cake.

For the cake Mix the cheese and the honey. Place the bay laurel leaves on the bottom of the cake pan and grease them with oil or lard. Then, lay carefully the bottom crust and add the first internal layer. Add the mix of cheese and honey, and place the second internal layer, continuing in this way until you will have used all the pre-cooked sheets. Lay the last sheet, then close the cake with the bottom crust. Place the cake in the oven or under the testum, cooking for about half an hour. When it is ready, let it cool, serving warm or at room temperature.