Exotic luxuries in ancient Rome: ostrich stew
One noteworthy issue when dealing with written historical recipes is: the further you go back in time, the less these recipes represent common people’s everyday food, because usually only extraordinary dishes were deemed worthy to be written down (with some notable exeptions, as usual). The same is true for the ancient Roman cookbook of Apicius. Most dishes were considered a gourmet treat, some of them are outright luxurious. Today I am going to cook one of these exotic luxury dishes: a sweet and sour ostrich stew.
Ostriches were known to Romans but their meat certainly wasn’t affordable for average income households. Which is why I am proposing to pair this stew with rice, another highly priced, exotic luxury good of the time.
While ostric meat can be found in many regions nowadays, it is by far not commonly available everywhere. Ostrich meat is a lean, red meat and for this recipe can be replaced by beef.
You need: ostrich meat (or a suitable replacement), pepper, fresh mint, leeks, celery seeds, dates, honey, vinegar, sweet wine, liquamen (a salty condiment that might or might not be a variation of the fish sauce garum but that you can replace with either a strong meat broth or soy sauce), olive oil, and semolina to thicken the sauce.
Serve with rice or bread.
You can find more recipes in one of my historical cookbooks GARUM - Recipes from the Past or From Eden to Jerusalem: Recipes from the Time of the Bible.
As an archaeologist and food historian, I offer workshops about historic cuisine, featuring the history of Mediterranean and European cuisines from Bronze Age via classical antiquity and the Middle Ages to the early modern era. Historical recipes surprise with their - for us - unusual combination of tastes and aromas, blending the salty, the sweet, the sour and the spicy into astounding combinations.
For more information send an email to trullocicerone@email.de Or visit my website trullocicerone.com.
Episode 5 Roman 'burger'
Our next cooking demo involves the closest recipe to a burger that we have in ancient sources. Isicia Omentata Apicius 2.1.7 Pounded meat flavoured with myrtle berries and fish sauce of cause! which is then wrapped in caul fat. Check out the blog to accompany this recipe at
Bonito - Ancient Roman Recipe - Apicius' Ius in Cordula Assa
Today we prepare an ancient Roman recipe. A bonito recipe, with a delicious sauce with spices and fresh herbs that is perfect also for other fishes. A flavorful example of a fish course in an ancient Roman banquet.
Ingredients
Bonito
White wine
White wine vinegar
Olive oil
Dates
Honey
Spices (white pepper, lovage, celery seeds)
Fresh herbs (mint, rue)
For more info checkout our blog:
If you liked the music on this video check our music and art channel:
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Music by Lilium Aeris
Andrea Tuffanelli – tympanum
Serena Fiandro – flute
Kalliopeia Sopha – Mesomedes of Crete 2nd century AD
#ancientromanrecipe #ancientromanfood #ancientrome
Minutal Marinum - Seafood Fricassee EASY RECIPE!
Seafood Fricasee - Minutal Marinum
Minutal - meaning - chopped or minced
Marinum - meaning - of the sea or fish
If you enjoy seafood and a taste for Italian cuisine, this ancient recipe provides earthy flavor and savory pallet excitement! And of course there is Wine!
Recipe -
White Wine - 32oz Sauvignon Blanc is best
1-2lbs Fish - I use any snapper available but any white meat, firm fish will do. cut into 1wide by 2 long 1/4 thick pieces.
1-2lbs Seafood - any shellfish you want to add but keep it roughly the same size as your fish pieces.
15 Roma tomatoes - peel, de-seed, and rough dice
6 oz finely chopped Lovage Leaf - can be replaced with Oregano
3 oz cracked Cumin
3 Leek stalks - rough dice of the lite green to white ends.
Butter - 4oz of unsalted butter
2 fresh lemons
Liquamen (Anchovy extract) - can be replaced with salt, celery salt
2 cups Beef Stock
2 oz starch or 4oz flour for thickening beef stock
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil ) to taste for cooking
I am making this video for my humanities class and as my first real youtube video with more than basic software. Unfortunately it is obvious from my audio fails that I need practice, but Rome wasn't built in a day. Thank you Mr. B. for your encouragement!
Govrmet Roman Kitchen - Apicius' Pork and Apricot Minutal
Read today's blog for a description of the substitutions you have to make when you cook Roman!
I finally made GARUM | Ancient Rome's favorite condiment
In nearly every recipe we have from Ancient Rome, a key ingredient is Garum or Liquamen; fermented fish sauce. While it usually takes two months to make, I use an ancient recipe for same day garum which gave me plenty of time to look at the history of Ancient Rome's favorite condiment.
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LINKS TO SOURCES**
The Roman Cookery Book by Elizabeth Rosenbaum:
Tasting Rome by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill:
Ferment by Holly Davis:
The rise and reorganization of the Pompeian salted fish industry - Steven Ellis:
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LINK TO Making A Cure for the Black Plague | Galen and the Four Humors:
GARUM
ORIGINAL RECIPE From The Geoponica
If you wish to use the garum at once - i.e. not expose it to the sun, but boil it - make it in the following manner: Take brine and test its strength by throwing an egg into it to see if it floats; if it sinks it does not contain enough salt. Put the fish into the brine in a new earthenware pot, add oregano, put it on a good fire until it boils - i.e., until it begins to reduce. Some people also add defrutum. Let it cool and strain it two or three times, until the liquid is clear. Seal and store it away.
MODERN RECIPE
INGREDIENTS (Amounts are approximate)
- 2 Quarts (1900ml) Water
- 1lb (450g) Sea Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
- Defrutum or Honey
- 2lbs (900g) Whole Fish (oily)
METHOD
1. Add salt to the water and stir to dissolve. You may not need the full amount, so start with about 3/4s. Place an egg in the water and if the egg floats, stop adding salt.
2. Add the whole fish and the oregano (and defrutum if you are using any) to the water and place over medium-high heat and boil for 30 - 40 minutes. Every ten minutes, mash with a spoon to break up the fish.
3. Once the water has reduced to about half the amount, remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool.
4. First, pass through a colander and then strain through a kitchen cloth or paper towel until the garum is free of particles. Then bottle in a sterile bottle and refrigerate.
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Music Credit
Gigue From 3rd Cello Suite
Exzel Music Publishing (freemusicpublicdomain.com)
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Photo Credits
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Garum Mosaic - Claus Ableiter / CC BY-SA (
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