Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome

Wanting in List. [42] CUTTLE-FISH CROQUETTES _ISICIA DE LOLLIGINE_ [1] THE MEAT IS SEPARATED FROM BONES, SKIN [and refuse] CHOPPED FINE AND POUNDED IN THE MORTAR. SHAPE THE FORCEMEAT INTO NEAT CROQUETTES [2] AND COOK THEM IN LIQUAMEN [3]. THEY ARE DISPLAYED NICELY ON A LARGE DISH. V. This formula plainly calls for fish balls braised or stewed in broth. Ordinarily we would boil the fish first and then separate the meat from the bones, shred or chop it fine, bind with cream sauce, flour and eggs; some add potatoes as a binder, and fry. [1] G.-V. _lolligine_; Tor. _loligine_, which is correctly spelled. [2] Tac. and Tor. _in pulmento tundes_. G.-V. _fulmento_ which is wrong. _Pulmentum_, abbreviated for _pulpamentum_, from _pulpa_. It means a fleshy piece of fish or meat, a tid-bit. [3] The original says _in liquamine fricatur_--fry in l., which is impossible in the sense of the word, frying. Either "frying" here stands for cooking, stewing, braising, poaching, or else the so mysterious _liquamen_ must here mean deep fat. Most likely these fish forcemeat balls were fried in olive oil. Cf. {Rx} No. 46. [43] LOBSTER OR CRABMEAT CROQUETTES _ISICIA DE SCILLIS VEL DE CAMMARIS AMPLIS_ [1] THE SHELLS OF THE LOBSTERS OR CRABS [which are cooked] ARE BROKEN, THE MEAT EXTRACTED FROM THE HEAD AND POUNDED IN THE MORTAR WITH PEPPER AND THE BEST KIND OF BROTH. THIS PULP [is shaped into neat little cakes which are fried] AND SERVED UP NICELY [2]. [1] _Scilla_ or _squilla_, squill, sea-onion, also a crab, _cammarus amplus_, large lobster, langouste, spiny lobster. [2] The original omits the mode of cooking the fish. A case where it is taken for granted that the shellfish is boiled in water alive. The broth (_liquamen_) is a thick fish sauce in this case, serving as a binder for the meat, conforming to present methods. Dann. Fill this into sausage casing. There is no authority for this. [44] LIVER KROMESKIS _OMENTATA_ [1] OMENTATA ARE MADE IN THIS MANNER: [lightly] FRY PORK LIVER, REMOVE SKIN AND SINEWS FIRST [2]. CRUSH PEPPER AND RUE IN A