RecipesApicius

Boiled Mussels

Apicius 3.20.3 · 4th century AD

Latin

aliter sfondilos elixos: perfundes ammulato infra scripto: apii semen rutam mel piper; teres; passum liquamen et oleum modice; amulo obligas; piper asparges et inferes.

English

Another way, boiled sfondili [a kind of shellfish]: pour over them the starch sauce written below: celery seed, rue, honey, pepper; grind; passum, fish sauce, and a little oil; bind with starch; sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Ingredients

  • 900g mussels in shell, or 200g mussel meat
  • ½ tsp ground celery seed
  • ½ tsp rue
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 100 ml passum
  • 15 ml fish sauce
  • 15 ml olive oil
  • Generous grind of black pepper
  • 1 Tb cornstarch, made into a slurry

Method

  1. Boil the mussels until cooked. If they are in their shell, once cooked remove them from the shells.
  2. Place the mussel meat in a saucepan along with celery seed, rue, pepper, honey, passum, fish sauce, and olive oil. Bring to a simmer, then add the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens.