Street Food
Lucanicae (Roman Spiced Sausages)
Ingredients
- - 500 g minced pork, with a little fat (1 lb ground pork, with a little fat)
- - 1 tsp ground cumin
- - 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- - 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- - 15 ml fish sauce (1 tbsp fish sauce)
- - 30 g pine nuts, chopped (1/4 cup pine nuts, chopped)
- - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- - Sausage casings, if available, or shape as flat patties/logs without casings
- - 15 ml olive oil, for cooking (1 tbsp olive oil, for cooking)
Method
- Combine the minced pork, cumin, fennel seeds, garlic, fish sauce, pine nuts and pepper thoroughly in a mixing bowl.
- If using casings, stuff the mixture into the casings and twist into sausage lengths. If not, shape the mixture into small logs by hand.
- Chill for at least 1 hour to firm up and let the flavours develop.
- Heat the olive oil in a grill pan or frying pan over medium heat and cook the sausages for 12-15 minutes, turning regularly, until browned all over and cooked through.
- Serve hot, ideally with bread, in the manner of a Roman street vendor.
Native Name: Lucanicae
Cultural Background: Named for the Lucania region of southern Italy, these smoked, spiced sausages were hugely popular street food in Rome, grilled over charcoal by vendors and flavoured with cumin, fennel and pine nuts – the word survives almost unchanged in the modern Italian 'luganega' sausage.
Tips: Chilling the mixture before cooking firms the fat and helps the sausages hold their shape, whether cased or hand-shaped.
Variations: A pinch of dried bay leaf, ground fine, is an attested regional addition to the spice mix.
Vegetarian / Vegan Note: Not suitable as written; the dish is built around minced pork.
Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze uncooked for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Reheat in a pan over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, turning, until piping hot throughout.
Nutrition: Approx. 310 kcal, 20 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 24 g fat per serving.
FAQs:
Q: Do I need real sausage casings?
A: No – hand-shaped logs or patties cook just as well and are far simpler for a home kitchen without specialist equipment.
Q: Where does the name come from?
A: Lucanicae takes its name from Lucania in southern Italy, whose soldiers reportedly introduced the sausage to Rome.