Roman micemeat recipe

Glires - the Roman delicacy of stuffed dormice. This recipe was written by Marcus Gaius Apicius. Dormice are both endangered and cute so please use chicken breasts instead.

Glires: isicio porcino, item pulpis ex omni membro glirium trito, cum pipere, nucleis, lasere, liquamine farcies glires, et sutos in tegula positos mittesin furnum aut farsos in clibano coques.

Dormice: Is stuffed with a forcemeat of pork and small pieces of dormouse meat trimmings, all pounded with pepper, nuts, laser, broth. Put the dormouse thus stuffed in an earthen casserole, roast it in the oven, or boil it in the stock pot.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
500g forcemeat (made from sausagemeat, 100g breadcrumbs and chicken breast meat trimmings)
50g chopped nuts
80g Asafoetida (or 6 garlic cloves)
50ml chicken stock
olive oil for frying salt and pepper to taste

Trim the chicken breast to mouse-shapes & use the chopped trimmings for the forcemeat. Cut a pocket in the breast large enough to hold the stuffing. Add any meat trimmings to the forcemeat. Add the nuts, Asafoetida (or garlic cloves) and pepper to a mortar and use a pestle to create a smooth paste. Add the chopped meat to this and mix thoroughly. Pour in a little of the stock and a drizzle of olive oil on this and mix well. Use this meat mixture to stuff the chicken breasts and either roast in an oven at 180°C for 20–25 minutes or by boiling in stock for 30–40 minutes. If using chicken breasts place these on a plate with the fat (tail) ends facing inwards. Decorate the narrow (head) end with berries for eyes and chives for whiskers to make them look more mouse-like & cute.