Original Recipe Avem: Apicius, #231 Another recipe for birds: Stuff the stomach with crushed fresh olives, sew up, and boil thus.Then remove the cooked olives. [Giacosa, p. 112] Ingredients: One whole chicken OR eight pieces of cut up chicken 3/4 – 1 cup assorted Greek olives, crushed olive oil salt (optional) Preparation Steps Wash chicken. […]

Original Recipe Esicia Omentata: Apicius, #48 Ground Meat Patties in Omentum: Grind chopped meat with the center of fine white bread that has been soaked in wine. Grind together pepper, garum, and pitted myrtle berries if desired. Form small patties, putting in pine nuts and pepper. Wrap in omentum and cook slowly in caroenum. [Giacosa, pp. 89-90] Ingredients: […]

Original Recipe: Apicius, #61: Lucanicae: … Teritur piper, cuminum, satureia, ruta, petroselinum, condimentum, bacae lauri, liquamen, et admiscetur pulpa bene tunas ita ut denuo bene cum ipso subtrito fricetur. Cum liquamine admixto, pipere integro et abundanti pinguedine et nucleis incies in intestinum perquam tenuatim perductum, et sic ad fumum suspenditur. Translation: [Lucanian Sausages: … Pepper is ground with […]

Ingredients: 1 kg chicken drumsticks (or 800g boneless breasts) 2 chopped onions 1-2 tbls oil 1 cup ground blanched almonds 2 cups chicken stock 1-1.5 tsp ground ginger fresh ground pepper salt 0.5 tsp pure saffron (threads) infused in 0.25 cup hot stock juice of 1-1.5 lemons Method: Trim chicken pieces as necessary, pat dry. […]

Ingredients: 1 lb. ground lamb (may be pounded if you like) 1 grated onion 2 cloves of chopped garlic 6 Tbs natural barley (crush it coarsely in the blender of food processor) 3 Tbs chopped parsley 2 Tbs mint or basil (fresh) 1 Tbs dried oregano or thyme salt 1 egg slightly beaten 5 cups […]

Ingredients: 3/4 cup of olive oil 1/2 onion, chopped 8 scallions, chopped fine 2 lg. cloves of garlic, chopped 1 cup natural barley chopped fresh dill to taste 1/2 cup parsley, chopped juice of 1/2 lemon salt to taste 1 cup hot water 1 one pound jar grapevine leaves 3-4 pound chicken, cut in quarters […]

Ingredients: 1 lb. lean beef or veal, ground 1 medium onion, grated 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 egg, beaten lightly 2 slices of bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry 3 Tbs minced parsley 2 sprigs fresh mint 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 Tbs red wine 2-3 Tbs water, if necessary salt 1 […]

Serves four. This favorite dish of medieval Baghdad consisted of a sweet pudding which was set at the bottom of a tannuur oven to catch the juices of roasting meat, which would be served with the pudding. Here we have a recipe from the collection of Caliph al-Wathiq (842–847). Ingredients: 1 chicken ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons […]

Serves four. This recipe, from the manuscript of Yahya ibn Khalid al-Barmaki, makes striking use of murri,the indigenous Middle Eastern barley “soy sauce.” Most dishes flavored with murri were vinegary, but this is the exception, being quite sweet. The result is surprisingly reminiscent of a Chinese “red-stewed” meat dish. The name comes from the Persian word for […]

Serves two. Mulahwajah means “hasty.” The book says that this recipe was often prepared for Harun al-Rashid. Galangal is sold in Arabia as ‘irq al-hail or khulanjan, and in Southeast Asian markets under such names as kha and laos. Dried ginger could be substituted. Use the rue sparingly—it’s very bitter. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oil 1 onion […]