Staple dish of the deipnon (the evening meal)
Phakê — Lentil Purée with Coriander and Vinegar
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A smooth lentil purée, scented with fresh coriander, sharpened with a dash of vinegar and bound with olive oil. The quintessential daily dish, perfect for sopping up with wheat bread.
Staple dish of the deipnon (the evening meal)
A smooth lentil purée, scented with fresh coriander, sharpened with a dash of vinegar and bound with olive oil. The quintessential daily dish, perfect for sopping up with wheat bread.
Approach, and do not be suspicious of this dish's humility: in the lentil, the wise find their just portion. In my home in Alexandria, we let them swell long in water, then heat them until they dissolve into a soft paste; I pour in oil from our olive trees, a little vinegar to awaken the tongue, and coriander that the gardens of the Delta give us in abundance. Refrain from too much garum — the soul is troubled when the body is glutted. Eat little, eat right, and your thought will remain clear as the Egyptian sky in the morning.
Ingredients
- •Lentils — a good measure (base of the dish)
- •Olive oil — as needed (binder and fat)
- •Wine vinegar — a splash (acidity)
- •Fresh coriander — a handful (flavor)
- •Ground cumin — a pinch (spice)
- •Honey — a spoonful (balances acidity)
- •Garum (fish sauce) — a few drops (optional) (salt and umami)
How it was made : Apicius (De re coquinaria, Book V) gives a very similar lentil recipe, bound with vinegar, honey, coriander, and garum. In the Greek world, the lentil was inseparable from the image of the sober philosopher: Diogenes and the Cynics had made it a symbol of simple living.
Sources : Apicius, De re coquinaria, Book V (legume recipes)