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Patina of Sole

Vinidarius 19 · c. 500 AD · Roman

Latin

patina soliarum ex obis: rades, purgas, conponis in patinam; adicies liquamen oleum uinum fasciculum porri et coriandri [semen]; mittis ut quoquatur. teres piper modicum origanum, suffundis iux suo sibi; adicies iuri dicem cruda oua; dissoluis et in unum corpus facies. traicies in patinam super solias. ad ignem lentum pones ut decoquat, et cum duxerit piper adspargis.

English

Patina of sole with eggs: scale and clean the fish, and lay them in a dish; add fish sauce, oil, wine, and a bundle of leek and coriander; put it on to cook. Grind a little pepper and oregano, moisten with some of the cooking liquor; add raw eggs to the liquid; beat them and work into a single body. Pour over the sole in the dish. Set it over a gentle fire to cook down, and when it has set sprinkle with pepper.

A classic patina. Close variants of this recipe also survive in Vinidarius 13 and in Apicius 4.2.27 and 4.2.28.

Ingredients

  • 300g fillets of sole or other white fish
  • 1 small leek
  • Small bundle coriander leaves
  • 20 ml fish sauce
  • 15 ml olive oil
  • 150 ml white wine
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • Pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F
  2. Place the fish fillets in a baking dish along with the leek and coriander, then pour over the fish sauce, wine, and olive oil. Place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
  3. Take the baking dish from the oven, remove the leek and coriander leaves and discard.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, dried oregano, and a generous amount of ground pepper.
  5. Pour the egg mixture of the baking dish, and gently stir to combine with the cooking liquor. Place the dish back in the oven to bake until set, around 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.