The last two books of De Re Coquinaria, the most comprehensive source on ancient Roman cuisine, are devoted to some of the most prized and expensive foods: fish and seafood. The recipes are often short, just lists of ingredients, though they are some of the best preparations in the entire cookbook.
The Romans shared with the Greeks a great love for saltwater fish, prepared in many ways, as we can read in Athenaeus’ Deipnosophists, which also reports fragments from the Gastronomy, a fundamental text on ancient food written by Archestratus, who lived in Gela, a city in Sicily, in the 4th century BCE.
For today’s recipe, we used a method described by Archestratus for preparing amia, which is an oily fish similar to tuna or mackerel. According to the Greek author, the best way to make it is by wrapping the fish in fig leaves and roast it, with the addition of oregano.
The author of De Re Coquinaria, instead, gives only the recipe for the sauce without explaining the cooking method, so we can prepare the fish as we like: there are many possibilities, for example roasting it, simmering it, or cooking it cut into slices on an oiled pan.
This recipe calls for thynnus, which is a term that refers to tuna and other similar kinds of fish, such as bonito or frigate tuna. In Pliny’s Naturalis Historia, we do not find a distinction by species but by age, which probably mainly refers to the size of the various fish. According to Pliny, the youngest ones are called cordyla, but in spring they become pelamides and when they are a year old, they change their name to thynni.
The fish that the ancient authors called thynnus was consumed either fresh or salted and used to make a fundamental ancient fish sauce, called muria. Tuna muria was expensive and particularly appreciated, but other fish were also used to make this sauce. Muria is a good substitute for garum in this recipe. Other alternatives to garum are colatura di alici, a South-East Asian fish sauce, or simply salt.
We can use the type of fish we want for this recipe, not necessarily frigate tuna, but also bonito, tuna, and other oily fish with a similar flavor without a substantial change in the result.
Regardless of the cooking method, however, it is important to prepare the sauce carefully. As in most recipes of De Re Coquinaria, the essential element is balance: we have two sweeteners (raisins and honey) that must be used in moderation to obtain an excellent overall taste by mixing them with a sapid sauce (garum), a rich and flavorful fat (olive oil), and two acidifiers (wine and vinegar). We recommend two tablespoons each of garum, olive oil, wine, and vinegar, with a few raisins and a very small amount of honey for an optimal outcome.
For more information about ancient cuisine, we suggest reading our book Ancient Roman Cooking. Ingredients, Recipes, Sources. Moreover, the full translation of De Re Coquinaria is available on Patreon, with further translations and articles on ancient and medieval cooking.
To know more about the transition between ancient and medieval cooking, check out our translation, commentary, and glossary of a beautiful 6th-century source, De Observatione Ciborum, written by the physician Anthimus to the king of the Franks Theuderic; if you are interested in late-medieval cuisine, we recommend Libro de la Cocina. Medieval Tuscan Recipes and Registrum Coquine. A medieval cookbook. If you are interested in recipes for vegetables from the Antiquity to the beginning of the Modern Era in Early Italian Recipes. Vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers available in English and Italian.
If you are interested in recipes with aromatic herbs from the Antiquity to the beginning of the Modern Era in Early Italian Recipes. Vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers available in English and Italian.
To support our work, you can buy us a beer or purchase our merchandise.
Ingredients
frigate tuna
spices (black pepper, cumin, coriander)
thyme
scallion
raisins
vinegar
honey
wine
garum
olive oil
wheat starch
Method
Clean the frigate tuna and cut it into thick slices. Wrap each slice in a fig leaf and roast it on the grill for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Mince the scallion and pound the spices in the mortar with a few raisins, then add the thyme and scallion, a little honey, and two tablespoons each of wine, vinegar, garum, and olive oil. Mix the sauce and warm it in a pot. As soon as it comes to a boil, thicken with starch diluted in a little water. Serve the frigate tuna with the sauce.
Original text
Ius in thynno: piper, cuminum, thymum, coriandrum, cepam, uvam passum, acetum, mel, vinum, liquamen, oleum. Calefacies; amulo obligabis.
Translation
Sauce for thynnus: pepper, cumin, thyme, coriander, onion, raisins, vinegar, honey, wine, garum, oil. Warm the sauce and thicken with starch.
Buy me a coffee
Patreon
Ancient Roman Recipes Playlist
Ancient Greek Recipes Playlist
Medieval Recipes Playlist
YouTube Channel
Merchandise
Books
Libro de la Cocina by Anonimo Toscano. Medieval Tuscan Recipes
Early Italian Recipes. Vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers
De Observatione Ciborum by Anthimus. Early-medieval recipes at the court of the Franks.
Registrum Coquine by Johannes Bockenheim. A medieval cookbook
Ancient Roman Cooking. Ingredients, Sources, Recipes
Translations of Historical Sources
De Agri Cultura by Cato – first part (2nd century BCE)
De Re Coquinaria by Apicius (Ancient Rome)
Apicii Excerpta by Vinidarius (5th or 6th century)
De Observatione Ciborum by Anthimus (6th century)
Appendicula de Condituris Variis by Johannes Damascenus (8th or 9th century)
De Flore Dietarum (11th century)
Tractatus de Modo Preparandi et Condiendi Omnia Cibaria (13th or 14th century)
Liber de Coquina – first part (14th century)
Enseignemenz (14th century)
Opusculum de Saporibus by Mainus de Maineris (14th century)
Libro de la Cocina by Anonimo Toscano (14th century)
Anonimo Veneziano (14th century)
Registrum Coquine by Johannes von Bockenheim (15th century)
Libro de Arte Coquinaria by Maestro Martino – parts 1-4 (15th century)
Recipes
Pork Stew with Red Wine
Chicken with Green Sauce
Pork Chops – Ofellae
Chicken with Dill – Pullus Anethatus
Religious Offering to Mars Silvanus
Rabbit
Gourds – Gustum de Cucurbitis
Roast Pheasant
Tyropatina – Honey Pudding
Pork Shank with Apician Sauce
The Diet of the Legionaries – Soup with Mutton and Beans
Chicken with Dill
Beef Roast with Quinces
Chard with Mustard
Religious Offering to Carna – Puls Fabacia
Pork Stuffed with Pasta – Porcellus Tractomelinus
Gilt-Head Sea Bream
Moretum – A Religious Offering to Cybele
Patina Versatilis
Aristophanes’ Roasted Birds
Pork Roast with Myrtle Berries
Cabbage Rolls
Pork Collar
Chicken with Taro
Honey and Millet Libum
Ham in Crust
Encytum
The diet of the ancient Germans
The diet of the Franks
Kandaulos
Wild Boar
Hypotrimma
Oysters and Clams
Peas
Ancient Sicilian Sea Bass
Pork Roast and Lentils with Sumac
Scampi
Cuttlefish and Eggs
Gustum de Praecoquis – Appetizer with Apricots
Octopus and Cucumber Salad
Copadia Agnina – Lamb Stew
Apothermum – Spelt Cakes
Pullus Parthicus – Roast Chicken
Tisana Barrica – Barley Soup
Beef Roast and Shallots
Staitites – Ancient Greek Sweet
Chicken Meatballs and Mashed Peas
Sweet Fritters – Dulcia Domestica
Columella’s Moretum and Hapalos Artos
Ancient Roman Frittata
A Saturnalia Recipe – Roast with Saffron Sauce
Muria – Ancestor of Colatura di Alici
Globi – Ancient Roman Sweet
The Diet of the Roman Legionaries – Buccellatum, Lardum, and Posca
How to make garum
Fig Sweet
Ancient Roman Gourd and Eggs
Ofella – Ancient Roman Steak
Fruit salads – Melon and Peaches
Isicia Marina – Shrimp Cakes and Cucumber Salad
Sala Cattabia – Snow and Posca
Copadia – Beef Stew
Puls Punica – Phoenician Dessert
Farcimina – Spelt and Meat Sausages
Ova Spongia ex Lacte – Sweet Omelettes
Flatbread and Chickpea Soup
Chicken stew
Salted Fish with Arugula Sauce
Savillum – Cheesecake
Pasta and Meatballs – Minutal Terentinum
Venison Stew with Spelt Puls
Veal with Allec Sauce – Ius in Elixam Allecatum
Isicia Omentata – Meatballs Wrapped in Caul Fat
Placenta – Honey Cheesecake
Pork Laureate – Porcellum Laureatum
Mashed Chestnuts
Poppy Seed Bread with Ancient Dry Yeast
Cured Olives and Epityrum
Historical Italian Cooking 