Recipe Manuscript

Olus Molle

Name: Olus Molle
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT15M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 300 g leafy greens (celery tops, wild celery, or lettuce leaves); 1 L water; 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste); 1 teaspoon black peppercorns; 1 teaspoon dried lovage (or substitute with celery leaves or parsley); 1 sprig savory (or substitute with oregano or thyme); 2 dried figs (or 1 fresh fig if unavailable); 1 small onion (about 80 g), peeled and sliced; 2 tablespoons fish sauce (substitute: 2 anchovy fillets mashed with 2 tablespoons water); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 60 ml dry white wine; 1 teaspoon celery seed (if authentic flavor desired); 1 teaspoon dried mint (optional per version)

"Soft Vegetables"

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

Olus Molle

"Ius molles ex olusatro cocto ex aqua minuta expremi coades minutim teres piper ligusticum satureiam ficla cũ cepa sicca Liquamen oleum & uinum. Aliter olus molles appiu coques ex aqua nitrata expressu & concides minutatim in mortario teres piper ligusticu. Origanu Cepain vinu liquamen & oleu coques impultario & sic apiu comistes. Aliter olus molle ex foliis latucae, cũ cepis coques ex aqua nitrata expressa con- cides minutatim imortario teres piper ligusticu apij semen mentam siccam cepam liquamen oleum et Vinu. Aliter olus molle ne arescat sumā queque amputant et purga & caulos male factos in aqua ablenti contegito."

English Translation

"Soft vegetables: Press juice from parboiled Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) cooked in water, mince finely, pound with pepper, lovage, savory, figs with dry onion, Liquamen (fish sauce), oil, and wine. Alternatively, for soft vegetables: boil celery in salted water, squeeze and chop finely, pound in a mortar with pepper, lovage, oregano, onion, wine, Liquamen (fish sauce), and oil, cook in a dish, and thus consume the celery. Alternatively, soft vegetables from lettuce leaves with onions: boil in salted water, squeeze, chop finely, grind in a mortar with pepper, lovage, celery seed, dried mint, onion, Liquamen, oil, and wine. Alternatively, for soft vegetables, lest they dry out, remove the tops, clean, and cover the poorly made stalks in washing water."

Note on the Original Text

The original recipe is written in abbreviated, sometimes irregular Latin, with liberal use of period spelling and punctuation. Lists or instructions run together, and verbs are often omitted, expecting the reader to infer cooking methods based on culinary convention (e.g., 'minutam teres' implying to chop finely and grind). Ingredient names reflect Roman/medieval botany (e.g., 'ligusticum' for lovage, 'liquamen' for fish sauce). Notes like 'Aliter' introduce variations on the main theme, showcasing a modular approach common in both ancient and medieval gastronomic texts.

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 for Olus Molle—literally 'soft vegetables'—hails from a cookery collection attributed to (pseudo-)Apicius in the late Italian Renaissance. The manuscript, written in the last quarter of the 15th century, draws on the Roman culinary tradition preserved in the famed 'De re coquinaria.' The recipe exemplifies the Roman approach to seasoning (herbs, pepper, fish sauce, and wine) and highlights how ancient and Renaissance cooks utilized varied greens and pungent, aromatic elements to elevate everyday vegetables. This was also a period when manuscripts were copied and transmitted among scholars, linking ancient gastronomy with early modern taste.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Preparation would have involved a mortar and pestle for grinding spices, herbs, and soft ingredients into a paste. Greens were boiled gently in a large pot using a hearth fire. Liquamen (Roman fish sauce) was poured from amphorae or small jugs. Cooks likely used knives for fine chopping and wooden or bronze spoons to stir and combine ingredients. The dish might have been warmed through in a shallow pan or clay pot, and presented in simple earthenware or metal bowls.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Servings

Ingredients

10 oz leafy greens (celery tops, wild celery, or lettuce leaves)
1 quart water
1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried lovage (or substitute with celery leaves or parsley)
1 sprig savory (or substitute with oregano or thyme)
2 dried figs (or 1 fresh fig if unavailable)
1 small onion (about 3 oz), peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce (substitute: 2 anchovy fillets mashed with 2 tablespoons water)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon celery seed (if authentic flavor desired)
1 teaspoon dried mint (optional per version)

Instructions

To make Olus Molle, start by cooking your chosen leafy greens—such as celery tops, lettuce leaves, or wild celery—in lightly salted water (about 1 quart).
Drain and squeeze out the excess water, then chop the greens finely.
In a mortar and pestle, crush together 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon dried lovage or celery leaves, a sprig of savory or oregano, and a few dried figs with a small sliced onion until you form a coarse paste.
Mix in 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or a mix of anchovy essence and water), 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1/4 cup dry white wine.
Combine the paste with the chopped greens and gently reheat if desired.
Serve warm, optionally garnished with additional fresh herbs.
Alternate versions propose gently simmering chopped celery root with salted water and using similar aromatics, or using lettuce leaves with onions as described above, flavored with mint, celery seed, and wine.
Adjust herbs as needed to personal taste, always finishing with olive oil and a splash of wine for authenticity.

Estimated Calories

90 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 10 minutes to chop and prepare the ingredients, and about 15 minutes to cook the greens and combine everything. Each serving has roughly 90 calories, and the recipe makes 4 servings.