Recipe Manuscript

Ustum De Oleribus

Name: Ustum De Oleribus
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 500 g onions, shallots, or leeks (bulbs), peeled and quartered; 500 ml dry white wine; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 tablespoons fish sauce (garum, or Thai/Vietnamese fish sauce); 200 g pork shoulder, diced; 150 g cooked chicken thigh or breast, shredded or chopped; 50 g pork skin or pig's feet (cooked, or use extra pork if unavailable); 50 g chicken skin or chicken feet (cooked, or use extra chicken if unavailable); 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tablespoons sweet raisin wine (or white wine plus 1 teaspoon honey); Optional: 1–2 tablespoons bread crumbs or wheat flour (for thickening)

"Apicius: Dish Of 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

Ustum De Oleribus

"Coces bulbos liquamine, oleo et uino. Cum cocti fuerint, tenera porcelli et gallinae et ungellas et pellas diuisas, haec omnia in bulbos conieceris. Cum feruerint, teres piper, liquamen, uinum et passum, & dulce ius de suo. Ius suffundis, reuocas in bulbos. Cum feruerint, ad momentum obligabis."

English Translation

"Cook bulbs (onions or similar) with fish sauce, oil, and wine. When they are cooked, add tender pork, chicken, little claws and sliced skins; throw all these into the bulbs. When it boils, grind pepper, fish sauce, wine and raisin wine, and sweet gravy from itself. Pour the gravy in, return it to the bulbs. When it boils, thicken for a moment and serve."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in concise, imperative Latin, omitting precise measurements and cooking times—typical of ancient and medieval cookery manuscripts, which assumed an experienced (and often professional) cook. Historic spelling and terminology reflect both the original Roman source and the Italian humanistic script of the 15th-century copy, such as 'liquamen' for fish sauce, 'passum' for raisin wine, and 'bulbos' for edible bulbs (onions, leeks, etc.). As was common, instructions are grouped by ingredient additions and final garnishes, relying on the cook's skill to judge readiness and seasoning.

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 hails from the late 15th-century Italian manuscript tradition, preserving Roman culinary wisdom from the famed Apicius, a name synonymous with gastronomy in the ancient world. Appearing in a manuscript that showcases the blending of medieval and Renaissance tastes—paired in the same binding as Platina's De honesta voluptate—this recipe reflects continuity with the Roman world's taste for savory, umami-rich dishes spiced with pepper and sweetened with wine or must.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The ancient Roman cook would have employed simple clay or bronze pots set atop glowing coals, using wooden spoons for stirring and stone mortars and pestles for grinding spices. Knives of iron or bronze would have been used to portion meats and peel vegetables, while ladles or small cups made of ceramic or metal helped pour the sauce.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

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

18 oz onions, shallots, or leeks (bulbs), peeled and quartered
2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fish sauce (garum, or Thai/Vietnamese fish sauce)
7 oz pork shoulder, diced
5 oz cooked chicken thigh or breast, shredded or chopped
2 oz pork skin or pig's feet (cooked, or use extra pork if unavailable)
2 oz chicken skin or chicken feet (cooked, or use extra chicken if unavailable)
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons sweet raisin wine (or white wine plus 1 teaspoon honey)
Optional: 1–2 tablespoons bread crumbs or wheat flour (for thickening)

Instructions

Begin by boiling onions (or possibly other edible bulbs such as leeks or shallots) in a mixture of 2 cups white wine, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (garum or use Thai fish sauce as a substitute), and 2 tablespoons olive oil until they are just tender.
Once the bulbs are cooked, add tender cuts of pork (such as 7 oz pork shoulder), cooked chicken (5 oz, preferably thigh or breast meat), and, for authenticity, some cooked pig's feet or chicken feet (if not available, substitute with extra pork and chicken skin, about 2 oz each).
Let everything simmer gently together.
While the mixture is bubbling, grind black pepper (1 teaspoon) in a mortar, then mix with another tablespoon fish sauce, 1/2 cup white wine, 2 tablespoons of sweet raisin wine (passum; substitute with Moscatel or a blend of white wine with a touch of honey), and some of the hot cooking liquid.
Pour this flavorful sauce back into the stew.
Return to a simmer and, at the last moment, thicken slightly—either by reducing the liquid or, if desired, by stirring in a little flour or bread crumbs to bind.
Serve hot, savoring the depth of Roman flavor.

Estimated Calories

350 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing the ingredients, like chopping onions and meats, takes about 20 minutes. Cooking everything together, including simmering the meats and sauce, takes about 60 minutes. This recipe makes about 4 servings, and each serving has around 350 calories.

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.