Apicius 364

 

 

Haedum sive agnum Tarpeianum

Antequam coquatur, ornatus consuitur. Piper, rutam, satureiam, cepam, timum modicum, et liquamine collues haedum, macerabis, <mittis> in furno in patella quae oleum habeat. Cum percoxerit, perfundes in patella impensam, teres satureiam, cepam, rutam, dactilos, liquamenº, uinum, carenum, oleum. Cum bene duxerit impensa, in disco pones, piper asparges et inferes.

 
 

 

Kid or lamb à la Tarpeius

Before cooking the lamb or kid is trussed and sewed up. Rub it with pepper, rue, savory, onion, a little thyme and garumº. Macerate. Put it in the oven on a shallow dish with some oil. When done, pour over the following mixture in the dish: grind savory, onion, rue, dates, garumº, wine, caroenum, oil. When the mixture has blended well with the meat, put in another dish, sprinkle with pepper and serve.

 
 

 

Notes

This recipe is meant for a kid or sucking lamb, that will be roasted in an oven as a whole. What exactly is meant by "ornatus consuitur" is not quite clear to me: it seems the animal has to be treated like a suckling pig in our traditions, but there is no indication of a stuffing.
Our ovens are rarely big enough to accomodate a whole lamb or kid, but that should not keep us from enjoying it. We will just have to make some small adjustments. We can take a shoulder of lamb, cut it into cubes and leave it overnight in this marinade: some freshly ground pepper, a spoonful of rue and one of savory, a grated onion, a teaspon of thyme, two tablespoons of garumº and a cup of olive oil.
The next day we roast it in a hot oven until nearly done and slightly browned. In the meantime we prepare the following sauce: Savory, rue, a teaspoon of each, a finely chopped onion, a couple of dates, a splash of garumº , wine and some boiled down must, half a cup of each, and some olive oil.
Pour the sauce over the meat,when nearly done and put it back in the oven for another twenty minutes or so.

The result will be a deliciously sweet stew, yet salty and tangy enough to keep it from being mistaken for a desert. Provided it is not stewed for too long, it will lead us on an intriguing quest for the origins of all the subtle nuances of its tastes.Exotic enough to surprise us, without however kindling any culinary xenophobia, this recipe is very suitable for a first encounter with the cuisine of Apicius.