Recipe Manuscript

Inutilis Marina

Name: Inutilis Marina
Prep time: PTPT15M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 500 g fresh white fish (cod, sea bass, or similar); 100 ml olive oil; 100 ml dry white wine; 3 tablespoons fish sauce (use diluted Asian fish sauce or anchovy essence); 2 leeks, cut into thick rounds; 20 g fresh coriander, finely chopped; 100 g edible seaweed (nori, dulse, or wakame); 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon dried lovage (or celery leaves/seeds); 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 50 g wheat starch wafer, matzo, or dried bread (to thicken); Additional ground black pepper for finishing

"Inutilis Marina"

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

Inutilis Marina

"Inutal Marina. pisces incoctos adicies liquamen oleu vini cocturam porros capitatos Coriandrum minutatum de piscalo depilato minuta facies, & pulpas pisci coctis comiscis. Vrticas marinas bene lotas mittes hec oia cu cocta fuerint teres piper Lygusticum origanu fricabis liquam suffundes ius de suo sibi & inicies in caccabum ut ferveat tracta confringes obligas piper aspergis & inferes."

English Translation

"Inutilis Marina. Add raw fish, fish sauce, oil, wine, leeks, chopped coriander, make small pieces of peeled fish, and mix with the flesh of cooked fish. Add well-washed sea nettles. When all these are cooked, grind pepper, lovage, and oregano, crush them, pour fish sauce, add its own juice, put it all into a cooking pot and let it boil. Break up some bread or pastry, tie it in, sprinkle with pepper, and serve."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe, like many from the Apicius tradition, was written in abbreviated, almost shorthand Latin designed for those with experience in the kitchen, with minimal punctuation and many culinary terms now unfamiliar. The spelling reflects Medieval Latin and the Italian humanist script of the Renaissance, with some terms derived directly from the original Roman culinary language. The instructions are prescriptive but expect the cook to know basic preparation, such as how to clean fish or chop herbs. Unfamiliar or obsolete ingredients are described with generic terms (e.g., 'vrticas marinas' for edible seaweeds), with the expectation that cooks would use what was locally available.

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 is drawn from a late 15th-century Italian manuscript attributed to Apicius, the Roman gourmet, and is a fascinating example of the continuity and adaptation of Roman gastronomy into the Renaissance period. The text is compiled from excerpts of De re coquinaria, a classical Roman cookbook filled with recipes that blend local Italian ingredients with the cosmopolitan flavors of the Roman Empire. The manuscript reflects the educational and practical uses of cookery in a noble or learned household, likely written for a literate audience interested in both culinary pleasure and cultural heritage. Its binding together with Platina's De honesta voluptate further suggests its role in the early history of printed and manuscript culinary collections, bridging classical and Renaissance culinary arts.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Originally, this dish would have been prepared in a heavy clay or bronze pot (caccabum) set over a wood or charcoal hearth. The fish and other ingredients would be handled with wooden spoons, while grinding the spices would require a mortar and pestle, typically made from stone or bronze. The thickening wafers ('tracta') would have been homemade, rolled thin and dried, then crumbled by hand. A cloth or simple sieve may have been used for washing the seaweed or straining liquids if needed.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 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 2 oz fresh white fish (cod, sea bass, or similar)
3.5 fl oz olive oil
3.5 fl oz dry white wine
3 tablespoons fish sauce (use diluted Asian fish sauce or anchovy essence)
2 leeks, cut into thick rounds
0.7 oz fresh coriander, finely chopped
3.5 oz edible seaweed (nori, dulse, or wakame)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried lovage (or celery leaves/seeds)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1.75 oz wheat starch wafer, matzo, or dried bread (to thicken)
Additional ground black pepper for finishing

Instructions

To recreate Inutilis Marina, start by taking fresh, uncooked fish—white-fleshed varieties like cod or sea bass work well.
Cut them into pieces and place into a deep pan.
Add about 3.5 fl oz olive oil, 3.5 fl oz dry white wine, and a generous splash (3 tablespoons) of fish sauce (garum substitute: Asian fish sauce diluted, or anchovy essence mixed with water).
Add several whole leeks, cut into thick rounds, and a handful of chopped fresh coriander.
Parboil these ingredients until the fish is cooked through.
After cooking, flake the fish and mix it with a portion of its own cooked pulp for added richness.
Next, wash and prepare a good handful (about 3.5 oz) of edible seaweed, such as nori or dulse, as a substitute for 'vrticas marinas.' Add these to the pot and allow everything to simmer gently together.
Once cooked, grind together black pepper, lovage (or substitute with celery leaves/seeds), and oregano in a mortar until fragrant.
Stir this spice blend into the mixture, adding a further splash of fish sauce and some of the cooking juices ('jus de suo sibi').
Bring the stew back to a gentle simmer.
To thicken, break and stir in a piece of wheat starch wafer or crushed dried bread as an alternative to the Roman 'tracta' (thickening wafer).
Once the dish is thickened, finish by sprinkling with more ground black pepper before serving.

Estimated Calories

300 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You will spend about 15 minutes preparing all the ingredients and around 30 minutes cooking the dish. Each serving has approximately 300 calories, and this recipe serves 4 people.

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.