Moretum
(Garlic and Herb Pâté)

Origin: Roman      Period: Traditional

Original Recipe

Moretum (from the Psuedo Virgil poem: Moretum)

Tunc quoque tale aliquid meditans intraverat hortum.
Ac primum, leviter digitis tellure refossa,
quattuor educit cum spissis alia fibris,
inde comas apii gracilis rutamque rigentem
vellit et exiguo coriandra trementia filo.
Haec ubi collegit, laetum consedit ad ignem
et clara famulam poscit mortaria voce.
Singula tum capitum nodoso corpore nudat
et summis spoliat coriis contemptaque passim
spargit humi atque abicit. Servatum germine bulbum
tinguit aqua lapidisque cavom demittit in orbem.
His salis inspargit micas, sale durus adeso
caseus adicitur, dictas super ingerit herbas
et laeva vestem saetosa sub inguina fulcit:
dextera pistillo primum flagrantia mollit
alia, tum pariter mixto terit omnia suco.
It manus in gyrum: paulatim singula vires
deperdunt proprias; color est e pluribus unus,
nec totus viridis, quia lactea frusta repugnant,
nec de lacte nitens, quia tot variatur ab herbis.
Saepe viri nares acer iaculatur apertas
spiritus et simo damnat sua prandia voltu,
saepe manu summa lacrimantia lumina terget
immeritoque furens dicit convicia fumo.
Procedebat opus nec iam salebrosus ut ante
sed gravior lentos ibat pistillus in orbis.
Ergo Palladii guttas instillat olivi
exiguique super vires infundit aceti
atque iterum commiscet opus mixtumque retractat.
Tum demum digitis mortaria tota duobus
circuit inque globum distantia contrahit unum,
constet ut effecti species nomenque moreti

Translation

Then, with his mind focussed on such a thought, he entered the garden. First, lightly digging into the ground with his fingers, he pulls up four cloves of garlic with their densely-packed cloves. Next he plucked delicate celery leaves and stiff rue and coriander trembling on its stalk. When he had gathered these, he sat down by the cheerful fire and shouted loudly to his slave for a mortar. Then he stripped each head of garlic of its matted body, removed the outer skin and throwing to the ground discarded here and there whatever he did not want. The cloves he dipped in water and put into a hollow circle of stone. He sprinkled over some grains of salt, and when the salt had been mixed in, hard cheese was added. He heaped the herbs he had gathered on top. He balanced the mortar with his left hand in his rough lap and with his right hand he first crushed the pungent garlic and he then puréed everything so that the juice was evenly blended. His hand traced a circle; gradually each ingredient lost its individual characteristics and there was one colour produced out of many, not completely green, because the milky bits stood out, nor yet shining like milk because it was coloured by so many herbs. Often the sharp savour shot through this man's flaring nostrils and with his face turned up he showed his dislike for the meal and often with the back of his hand he wiped his tearful eyes, swearing angrily at the pungency. The work kept going on, but now no longer jerkily, as before, but rather the pestle slid round more slowly in heavy circles. So he poured on some drops of olive oil and added for flavour a little vinegar and again stirred and pounded the ingredients together. Then finally with two fingers he wiped round the whole mortar and rolled the bits into one ball and so was made a moretum as excellent in appearance as it was in name.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

4 whole bulbs of garlic
200g Feta cheese (Pecorino Romano would also do)
3 celery sticks
A large bunch of fresh coriander
Small bunch of fresh rue leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp dry white wine
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
sea salt to taste

Method:

Break the garlic into cloves and spread these on a baking tray. Grill under moderate heat for five minutes, ensure that you turn the cloves over every minute or so to ensure even cooking.

Allow the garlic to cool for a few minutes then squeeze the garlic flesh from the enclosing skin (this should be very easy after cooking the garlic). NOTE: Cooking the garlic significantly reduces its pungency. If you are a true alliophile (garlic lover) then use raw garlic to make the purée.

Roughly chop the celery, cheese and herbs then place these and the garlic in a blender. Use the blender to break down the ingredients slightly then add the olive oil, wine and wine vinegar and blend to a smooth paste. Garnish with sea salt and serve as an accompaniment to other dishes or with oatcakes.

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