When Classics Meets Cooking

Inspiration is everywhere. In my daily life, I study Classics for a living. It’s a fun major to have; just ask Abby. Because of this, whenever I hear “Romaine” I instantly think “Roman”. I can’t be certain whether or not the Romans ate Romaine lettuce. I can tell you all about the politics behind public land used for personal food growth, however. But you don’t want to hear about that.

Without question, Mediterranean flavors are some of my favorite. The fish are always fresh; the flavors are always clean; and they’re not shy with the olive oil. This isn’t a Roman recipe by any means. The Romans most of the time at some sort of grain-based gruel with salt and animal fat added to it. Pork was the most common source of protein when a family could afford it, and cooking methods were far from glamorous. This would be the envy of any Roman plate.

Hazelnut-Breaded Baked Fish

Ingredients:

• 1lb flaky white fish(I used Pollock)
• 2/3 cup hazelnut flour
• 3 tablespoons parmesan
• 2 egg whites

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Mix the hazelnut flour and parmesan on a plate. Beat the egg whites slightly and pour over the fish to coat.

Bread the fish by placing alternating sides down on the plate until it’s fully coated and all the flour has been used up. Put the fish on foil and bake until white and flaky, about 15 minutes.

Roman Romaine Crunch Salad With Hazelnut Baked Fish

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Italian Crunch salad mix
• 1lb hazelnut-breaded baked fish
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil to drizzle

Distribute the salad evenly amongst 4 plates. Cut the fish into 4 filets and add to the center of each plate. With a sharp knife, halve the cherry tomatoes and add around the fish. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the plate to finish.

This was my entry for Olivia’s Organics’ holiday salad contest. You can enter, too! Just post a salad recipe on their Facebook Wall.