In this recipe, we combine the freshness of little gem lettuces with the creaminess of eggs to create a vegetarian, historical, and surprisingly delicious dish.
What was a patina?
The fundamental characteristic of a patina was the use of eggs as a binding agent. The Romans mixed various ingredients (such as vegetables, fish, fruit, or meat) with a base of beaten eggs and liquids (like water, wine, or milk). When heated over low heat, the mixture would set.
The book De re coquinaria features several recipes under the name Patina. In addition to being a culinary technique, the name patina was also used for a specific type of pan or dish.
This patina could have been served during the gustatio (the appetizer), sharing the table with fresh cheeses, olives, and other seasonal vegetables. If you are curious about how a Roman dinner began, you can explore the post dedicated to the gustatio here.
This dish would also work wonderfully as a simple, comforting meal, accompanied merely by a good piece of bread to round out a daily lunch in any Roman household.
Precursor of the frittata
Many of the recipes featured in this book that contain eggs could easily be precursors to the frittata, which is like an omelet, but Italian-style. It is always round, never folded like a French omelette, and can feature all sorts of mix-ins, such as vegetables, sautéed onion, or even cheese.
While the French style aims for a moist, tender interior by folding the omelette, the Italian frittata and Roman patina look for a more evenly set texture.
The Original Recipe
ALITER PATINA
Tyrsum lactucae teres cum pipere, liquamine, caneo, aqua, oleo. Coques ovis obligabis, piper asparges et inferes.
De re coquinaria, IV, II, 3
ANOTHER PATINA
Grind the lettuce root with pepper, liquamen, water, and oil. Cook, binding it with eggs, sprinkle with pepper, and serve.
Translation
I have included garlic as an extra to enhance the overall flavor. As garlic was an omnipresent ingredient in the Roman world, the recipe remains historically coherent.
Although the recipe book suggests grinding (teres) the lettuce stems or hearts, I preferred to use little gem lettuces and sauté them briefly. This way, the lettuce retains a crunchy texture, which I believe is closer to our modern palate.
Ingredients
Lettuce Omelet
2
raciones10
minutes5
minutesIngredientes
2 lettuce hearts
4 eggs
3 garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Instrucciones
- Peel the garlic cloves and crush them slightly before putting them in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Infuse the oil with the garlic, making sure they don’t burn. As soon as they start to turn golden brown, remove them from the pan.
- Add the clean, pre-chopped gem lettuce leaves to the pan. Sauté the lettuce briefly over medium-high heat so it retains its crunchy texture. Before removing from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt to taste and fold the sautéed lettuce into the mixture.
- Heat two tablespoons of oil in the pan over medium-low heat and pour in the egg and vegetable mixture, allowing it to set slowly.
- Once the omelet is cooked on one side, flip it over and cook for a few more minutes until it is done to your liking (more or less set, depending on your preference).