Recipe Manuscript

In Cervo

Name: In Cervo
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT25M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 500g venison; 1 tsp black pepper, ground; 1 tsp lovage or celery leaves; 1/2 tsp caraway seeds; 1/2 tsp oregano; 1/2 tsp celery seed; 3 tbsp garum (Roman fish sauce) or Asian fish sauce; 120 ml dry white wine; 60 ml sweet dessert or raisin wine (passum); 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp wheat starch or cornstarch; 1 small onion, minced; 50g carrots, minced; 2 tbsp pine nuts; 1–2 tsp honey; 1 tsp mustard; 2 tbsp vinegar; 1 tbsp parsley, minced; 1 tsp cumin; A few leaves of fresh rue (optional, can omit if not available)

"In Venison"

1475

From the treasured pages of Apicius - De re coquinaria (handwritten excerpts)

Written by Apicius

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1475

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

In Cervo

"ius teres pip ligusticu careum origanu apij semen liquamen vinu passum oleu modice et fricabis suffundes et cum ferbuerit amulo obligas. Cervoctu introforas tinges et iferes. Ferculum est. Inplatone similis et uteris. Aliter cervum elixabis. suffundis teres pip ligusticu careum apij semen suffundes mel acetu oleo calefacto amulo obligas et carne pfundis. Ius in cervo pip ligusticu cepullam origanu nucleos careotas mel liquamen sinape aceto oleo exprime. Conditura pip cumini gdmentum petrosilinu cepa ruta mel."

English Translation

"Sauce for venison: Grind pepper, lovage, caraway, oregano, celery seed, liquamen, wine, raisin wine, a little oil, and blend. Pour over (the meat) and when it comes to a boil, bind with starch. Dip the cooked venison in, and serve. This is a dish. On a platter, (it is) similar and is used. Alternatively, boil the venison. Pour over (the following): grind pepper, lovage, caraway, celery seed; pour over honey, vinegar, heated oil, bind with starch, and pour it over the meat. Sauce for venison: pepper, lovage, onion, oregano, nuts, carrots, honey, liquamen, mustard, vinegar, oil, squeeze (together). Condiment: pepper, cumin, coriander, parsley, onion, rue, honey."

Note on the Original Text

The original recipe is a concise, almost telegraphic set of instructions, typical of ancient culinary manuals which assumed a cook already knew standard techniques. Ingredient names are abbreviated (e.g., 'pip' for piper, pepper) and there is no listing of precise amounts. Medieval scribes reproduced the text in Latin, using spellings and abbreviations of the time, often merging steps to save parchment. Standardization was uncommon; spelling was phonetic and variable. Hence 'ius teres' (crushed sauce), 'amulo' (starch), and so forth appear without explanation—cooks would infer details by experience.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Apicius - De re coquinaria (handwritten excerpts) - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Apicius - De re coquinaria (handwritten excerpts) (1475)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Apicius

Era

1475

Publisher

Venice

Background

A delectable compendium of ancient Roman cookery, this collection invites you to taste the flavors of antiquity through ten tantalizing sections based on Apicius’s famed De re coquinaria. Savor recipes, tips, and culinary wisdom penned in a fine Italian hand for the epicurean elite of the 15th century.

Kindly made available by

University of Pennsyllvania

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from an attributed Apicius cookery book, a cornerstone of Roman culinary literature. The Apicius text, De re coquinaria, is an iconic collection of recipes and culinary wisdom, attributed (perhaps falsely) to Marcus Gavius Apicius, Rome’s most famous gourmand. The manuscript in question was copied in Italy in the late 15th century, as interest in classical antiquity blossomed during the Renaissance. The recipes offer a glimpse into both elite Roman dining and the later humanist fascination with recovering culinary works of the ancient world. Techniques like the use of garum, passum, and complex spice blends reflected the cosmopolitan, luxury-driven Roman palate.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Roman cooks would have used a combination of mortaria (sturdy clay or stone mortars) and pestles to grind spices and herbs by hand, ensuring aromatic oils were released. Sauces were prepared in bronze or clay pans over open hearths or small charcoal braziers, stirred with wooden spoons. Sifters (cribra) might be used for flour or starch, and meat was likely boiled or seared in large pots or shallow sauté pans. Plating was done on broad platters (patinae), and dipping was an interactive part of dining.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 lb venison
1 tsp black pepper, ground
1 tsp lovage or celery leaves
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp celery seed
3 tbsp garum (Roman fish sauce) or Asian fish sauce
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup sweet dessert or raisin wine (passum)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp wheat starch or cornstarch
1 small onion, minced
2 oz carrots, minced
2 tbsp pine nuts
1–2 tsp honey
1 tsp mustard
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp parsley, minced
1 tsp cumin
A few leaves of fresh rue (optional, can omit if not available)

Instructions

To prepare venison in the style of Apicius, first make a rich sauce: crush together black pepper (1 tsp), lovage (1 tsp or use celery leaves as a substitute), caraway seeds (1/2 tsp), oregano (1/2 tsp), celery seed (1/2 tsp), and blend with 3 tbsp of garum (Roman fish sauce, or substitute with Asian fish sauce), 1/2 cup white wine, 1/4 cup passum (sweet raisin wine, or use sweet dessert wine), and 2 tbsp olive oil.
Warm all in a pan and allow to simmer gently.
Once hot, thicken with a slurry made from 2 tsp starch (wheat starch or cornstarch).
Sear or briefly boil the venison pieces (about 1 lb) and dip each piece into the sauce before serving.
To accompany, you can use a platter and dip garnishes in similar style.
Alternatively, the venison can be boiled first.
For that variation, cover the boiled meat with a sauce made of crushed pepper, lovage, caraway, celery seed, honey (1 tbsp), vinegar (2 tbsp), and warmed olive oil (2 tbsp), thickened at the end with starch.
Pour over the meat.
Another sauce for venison incorporates: black pepper, lovage, onions (1 small, minced), oregano, pine nuts (2 tbsp), carrots (2 oz, minced), honey (1–2 tsp), garum (or fish sauce), mustard (1 tsp), vinegar (2 tbsp), olive oil (2 tbsp), pressed or blended until smooth.
A typical garnish could be ground pepper, cumin, grains of paradise (if not, more pepper or allspice), parsley, onion, rue, and honey to taste.

Estimated Calories

340 per serving

Cooking Estimates

This recipe takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook. You get about 4 servings, each with around 340 calories. We measured cooking time from when you start heating the sauce until the meat is ready to serve.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.