Recipe Manuscript

Porcellum Elixum Farsilem

Name: Porcellum Elixum Farsilem
Prep time: PTPT45M
Cook time: PTPT2H
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 cleaned piglet (5-7 kg), or substitute with pork belly skin if piglet unavailable; 150 g pork brains (or substitute with pork liver or chicken livers); 5 g black pepper, freshly ground; 5 g dried oregano; 60 ml Asian fish sauce (in place of Roman liquamen/garum); 300 g cooked sausage (your choice of mildly seasoned sausage, e.g., Italian or bratwurst); 1 liter vegetable oil (for optional frying); Salt, as needed

"Boiled Stuffed Suckling Pig"

1475

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

Written by Apicius

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Advanced 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

Porcellum Elixum Farsilem

"De porcello utriculum exies & pdurabis. teres pip liquamen Origanum suffundes liquamen. cerebellum coctum & simul & dilues liquamine temperabis farcimina cocta integra pones. Sed antea porcellum pilis imples infibulas in porcellum ferventi oleo pones coctum & fronzitum siue cum liquamine delauas."

English Translation

"Boiled stuffed suckling pig. Take the skin of a suckling pig, stuff and harden it. Grind pepper, moisten with liquamen and oregano, pour over with liquamen. Mix together cooked brain and dilute with liquamen, add whole cooked sausages. But first, stuff the pig with bristles, put skewers into the pig, place in boiling oil, cook and brown it, or wash it with liquamen."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is composed in the brief, sometimes fragmentary style typical of medieval and ancient manuscripts, listing processes and ingredients with minimal quantities or instructions. The mixture of Latin and occasional vernacular reflects a period of transition in both language and culinary culture. Spellings (e.g., 'porcellum', 'liquamen') follow period conventions, and abbreviations ('farsilem' for stuffed) require cross-referencing with glossaries of the time. The recipe's original audience would have been expected to have advanced kitchen skills and an understanding of the implied techniques—hence the omission of detailed directions and precise measurements common in modern recipes.

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 a 15th-century Italian manuscript, an excerpt of Apicius’ famed Roman cookery book, De re coquinaria. Compiled during a time when classical antiquity was being rediscovered and celebrated in Renaissance Italy, these recipes offered a direct link to the banquets of imperial Rome, inviting cooks to experiment with bold flavors and lavish presentations. The recipe suggests a blend of original Roman ingredients (such as liquamen, a pungent fermented fish sauce) and cooking techniques—both boiling and frying—showcasing the complexity and theatricality beloved by both Roman and Renaissance gourmands.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In its original context, the cook would have used large cauldrons for boiling, mortars and pestles for grinding spices and herbs, and sharp knives for butchering and preparing meat. Metal skewers or wooden pins were employed to secure the stuffed animal, while large ladles and strainers would manage the boiling process. If roasting or frying, a large metal pan and open fire or stone oven would serve to crisp the dish to perfection.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

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 cleaned piglet (11-15 lb), or substitute with pork belly skin if piglet unavailable
5 oz pork brains (or substitute with pork liver or chicken livers)
2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tsp dried oregano
2 fl oz Asian fish sauce (in place of Roman liquamen/garum)
10.5 oz cooked sausage (your choice of mildly seasoned sausage, e.g., Italian or bratwurst)
1 quart vegetable oil (for optional frying)
Salt, as needed

Instructions

To recreate 'Porcellum elixum farsilem' (Boiled, Stuffed Piglet) in your modern kitchen, start by preparing a piglet (approx.
11-15 lb, cleaned and gutted).
Carefully remove the skin in one whole piece if possible, and set it aside.
Boil the piglet’s brains (about 5 oz) until firm, then combine them with a handful (about 2 tsp each) of freshly ground black pepper and oregano, plus 2 tablespoons (2 fl oz) of Asian fish sauce as a substitute for garum (liquamen).
Blend these into a coarse paste, moistening with more fish sauce if necessary.
Gather 3-4 pre-cooked sausages (about 10.5 oz total), keeping them whole.
Stuff the piglet skin with the sausage and brain mixturre, and use metal or wooden skewers (toothpicks or trussing pins) to secure the openings.
Boil the stuffed piglet in salted water until tender (about 1.5-2 hours); alternatively, roast briefly in hot oil (about 1 quart, for deep-frying effect) for a crisp finish.
Optionally, baste with additional fish sauce or serve with it as a dip.

Estimated Calories

800 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 45 minutes to prepare the ingredients and workspace, including skinning, boiling brains, making the filling, and stuffing. Cooking takes about 2 hours to boil the stuffed piglet until tender. This recipe serves about 8 people and each serving has around 800 calories, depending on the final portion size and whether you fry it.

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.