Peas in the Manner of Vitellius
Vitellius ruled in 69 AD, the famous Year of the Four Emperors. Following Nero’s suicide, the Empire plunged into chaos, and the throne of Rome changed hands at a dizzying pace in a single year: first Galba, followed by Otho, then Vitellius himself, and finally Vespasiano, who managed to stabilize the State and found the Flavian Dynasty.
The dish we are making today bears the name Pisam Vitellianam sive Fabam, which translates to ‘Peas or beans in the manner of Vitellius’. Considering how much the Romans loved to christen their meals after famous figures or locations, this plate almost certainly evokes the emperor himself, a man remembered by ancient sources for his legendary gluttony.
5. PISAM VITELLIANAM SIVE FABAM.
Pisam coques lias. teres piper, ligusticum, gingiber, et super condimenta mittis vitella ovorum, quae dura coxeris, mellis uncias III, liquamen, vinum et acetum. haec omnia mittis in caccabum et condimenta quae trivisti. adiecto oleo ponis ut ferveat. condies pisam, lias, si aspera fuerit. melle mittis et inferes.
De re coquinaria, V, III, 5
PEAS OR BEANS IN THE MANNER OF VITELLIUS
Cook the peas and crush them. Grind pepper, lovage, ginger, and season on top with egg yolk, which will be cooked, 3 ounces of honey, liquamen, wine, and vinegar. Throw everything into a cooking pot. Add oil and set to boil. Season the peas, and crush if there should be lumps. Throw honey and serve
Translation
When recreating this dish, the biggest difference from the original recipe is that I am not going to puree the peas. I am not a big fan of purees and mashed vegetables, which is why I took this license. Other than that, the ingredients are the original ones, with the exception of swapping liquamen for salt.
The Ingredients
Some ingredients in this recipe would have been well out of reach for ordinary mortals in ancient Rome. These include pepper, a costly spice reserved for the upper classes, and most notably ginger (gingiber). The latter was a true luxury commodity, arriving in Rome via intricate trade routes and commanding hefty customs taxes.
Another ingredient that may strike us as unusual is the aromatic herb known as lovage. Fresh leaves and roots are harvested from this plant, also called mountain celery. Although native to Asia, it was already being grown across the Mediterranean in ancient times. It was an omnipresent aromatic in high-class Roman cooking, featured in a vast number of recipes in De re coquinaria.
Getting hold of lovage nowadays is not always easy (in my case, I had to buy it online). But if you prefer to use a substitute that you can easily find in any supermarket, a great option would be to use finely chopped celery leaves.
Peas in the Manner of Vitellius
2
raciones10
minutes20
minutesIngredients
80 ml extra virgin olive oil
120 ml white wine
A generous tablespoon of peeled and finely minced ginger
A generous pinch of flaked sea salt
2 teaspoons lovage
One teaspoon crushed peppercorns
Two teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Peas for 2 people
1 egg
Instructions
- Pour the olive oil into a pan and infuse it over low heat with the chopped ginger.
- Add the cooked peas (if using frozen ones, rinse them under hot water beforehand) and mix well so they are thoroughly coated with the oil and ginger.
- Season with the pepper and lovage.
- When the peas begin to sauté in the oil, add the two teaspoons of honey, the salt, the white wine, and the tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
- Simmer with all the ingredients until you see that the peas are cooked through. The total cooking time for the peas will be approximately 20 minutes over medium-low heat.
- For the final touch, grate the hard-boiled egg on top of each dish.
Vídeo de la receta
Notas
- These peas are ideal as a side dish or a light, aromatic meal. Even better with a loaf of rustic bread and good olive oil.