Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome

strained and poured over the fish at the moment of serving. This is perhaps the best method of preparing fish with white meat of a fine texture. Pink or darker fish do not lend themselves to this method of preparation. [139] SMELT PIE, OR, SPRAT CUSTARD _PATINA DE ABUA SIVE APUA_ [1] BONELESS PIECES OF ANCHOVIES OR [other small] FISH, EITHER ROAST [fried] BOILED, CHOP VERY FINE. FILL A CASSEROLE GENEROUSLY WITH THE SAME [season with] CRUSHED PEPPER AND A LITTLE RUE, ADD SUFFICIENT BROTH AND SOME OIL, AND MIX IN, ALSO ADD ENOUGH RAW EGGS SO THAT THE WHOLE FORMS ONE SOLID MASS. NOW CAREFULLY ADD SOME SEA-NETTLES BUT TAKE PAIN THAT THEY ARE NOT MIXED WITH THE EGGS. NOW PUT THE DISH INTO THE STEAM SO THAT IT MAY CONGEAL [but avoid boiling] [2]. WHEN DONE SPRINKLE WITH GROUND PEPPER AND CARRY INTO THE DINING ROOM. NOBODY WILL BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT HE IS ENJOYING [3]. [1] Tac., Tor. _sic_. List., G.-V. _p. de apua sine apua_--a dish of anchovies (or smelts) without anchovies. Tor. formula bears the title _patina de apua_, and his article opens with the following sentence: _patin de abua sive apua sic facies_. He is therefore quite emphatic that the dish is to be made with the _abua_ or _apua_ (an anchovy) and not without _apua_, as List. has it. Lan. calls the dish: P. _de apabadiade_, not identified. [2] Tor. _impones ad uaporem ut cum ouis meare possint_--warning, get along with the eggs, i.e. beware of boiling them for they will curdle, and the experiment is hopelessly lost. List. however, reads _meare possint_ thus: _bullire p._--boil (!) It is quite plain that Tor. has the correct formula. [3] _et ex esu nemo agnoscet quid manducet._ Dann. renders this sentence thus: "Nobody can value this dish unless he has partaken of it himself." He is too lenient. We would rather translate it literally as we did above, or say broadly, "And nobody will be any the wiser." List. dwells at length upon this sentence; his erudite commentary upon the _cena dubia_, the doubtful