OF PUMPKIN THAT HAVE NOT
BEEN FULLY COOKED WITH THE DRESSING; FIT TWO PIECES TOGETHER AND CLOSE
THEM TIGHT [holding them by means of strings or skewers]. [Now poach
them and] TAKE THE COOKED ONES OUT AND FRY THEM [3]. [The proper] WINE
SAUCE [for this dish] MAKE THUS: CRUSH PEPPER, LOVAGE MOISTENED WITH
WINE, RAISIN WINE TO TASTE, A LITTLE OIL, PLACE IN PAN TO BE COOKED;
WHEN DONE BIND WITH ROUX. COVER THE FRIED PUMPKIN WITH THIS SAUCE,
SPRINKLE WITH PEPPER AND SERVE [4].

[1] Dann. cucumbers, for which there is no authority.
Cucumbers lend themselves equally well for a dish of
this kind; they are often stuffed with a forcemeat of
finely minced meats, mushrooms, eggs, breadcrumbs, or
simply with raw sausage meat, cooked as above, and
served as a garnish with _entrees_.

[2] Tor. sentence wanting in other texts.

[3] Presumably in deep fat or oil, a procedure which
would require previous breading in bread crumbs or
enveloping in frying batter.

[4] Whether you like pumpkin and brains or not--Apicius
in this dish reveals himself as the consummate master of
his art that he really is--a cook for cooks; Moreover,
the lucidity of his diction in this instance is equally
remarkable. It stands out in striking contrast to his
many other formulae which are so obscured. Many of them
perhaps were precepts of likewise striking originality
as this one just cited.

[177] COMPOTE OF EARLY FRUIT
_GUSTUM DE PRAECOQUIS_

CLEAN HARD-SKINNED EARLY FRUITS [1] REMOVE THE SEEDS AND KEEP THEM
COLD IN A PAN. CRUSH PEPPER [2] DRY MINT, MOISTENED WITH BROTH, ADDING
HONEY, RAISIN WINE, WINE AND VINEGAR; POUR THIS OVER THE FRUIT IN THE
PAN, ADDING A LITTLE OIL. STEW SLOWLY ON A WEAK FIRE, THICKEN [the
juice] WITH ROUX [rice flour or other starch diluted with water]
SPRINKLE WITH PEPPER [2] AND SERVE [3].

[1] Lister praises the early green fruit and the use
thereof, and, as a physician, recommends imitation of
the above as follows: _In aliis plurimis locis hujus
fructus mentio fit; ususque mirabilis fuit; & certe
propter salubritatem, nostram imitationem meretur._

[2] We do not like the "pepper" in this connection and
we venture to suggest that in this case the term
probably stands for some other kind of aromatic seed
less pungent than the grain known to us as "pepper" and
one more acceptable to the fine flavor of frui