Late Roman Empire · Rome
Apicius's Patina Cotidiana
From De Re Coquinaria · Apicius · 400
Verified from original source
A daily Roman dish of fried fish baked in a sauce of wine, oil and herbs.
History
Patina cotidiana appears in De re coquinaria, a Roman cookery collection attributed to Apicius (likely compiled 4th–5th century CE, not 400 BCE). The term 'patina' denotes a baked dish cooked in a shallow pan, whilst 'cotidiana' suggests everyday fare. Roman patinae were versatile egg-based preparations, often combining vegetables, meat, or fish with eggs, wine, and garum (fermented fish sauce). These dishes reflected Roman culinary sophistication and were consumed by those who could afford varied ingredients. Patinae influenced later European egg dishes and gratins, establishing a lineage connecting Roman cookery to modern baked savoury custards and frittatas.
Sources
- Apicius, De re coquinaria (Apicius: Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome, translated by Joseph Dommers Vehling, 1936)
Serves
4
Prep
15m
Cook
20m
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients
- · 600 g white fish fillets
- · 60 ml olive oil
- · 120 ml white wine
- · 1 tablespoon honey
- · 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- · 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- · 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
- · 2 tablespoons fish sauce (garum substitute)
Method
- 1
Cut fish into serving pieces and fry in half the olive oil until golden.
- 2
Place fried fish in an oiled baking dish.
- 3
Mix wine, remaining oil, honey, pepper, cumin, coriander and fish sauce.
- 4
Pour sauce over fish.
- 5
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes until bubbling.
