Note 4 — Chapter VIII · THE ERGATES; THE COSSUS

I know not with what sauce the Cossus was eaten in the days of the Cæsars; no Aepicus4 of the period has bequeathed us any information in this respect. Ortolans are roasted skewered on a spit; to add the seasoning of any complicated dressing would be a profanation. Let us do the same with the Cossi, those Ortolans of entomology. Stuck in a row on a skewer, they are grilled over red-hot charcoal. A pinch of salt, the necessary condiment of our meats, is the only extraneous relish. The roast turns a golden brown, shrivels slowly and sheds a few oily tears, which take fire on touching the coal and burn with a fine white flame. The dish is ready. Let us serve it hot.