Ancient Roman Artichokes
Boiled artichokes with a sweet ancient Roman sauce with rue and garum
City/Region: Rome
Time Period: 1st Century
The gardens of the ancient Roman elite were truly something. They could have walking paths, fountains, mosaics, statues, beehives, sundials, and statues, in addition to growing all kinds of edible plants.
One of the herbs that I’m growing in my backyard is rue, which features in the sauce for this dish. Rue is one of the herbs that is very popular in ancient Roman cooking, but is harder to find today. It’s important to note that too much rue can be deadly, and if you’re pregnant, don’t eat it at all.
The rue in the sauce lends a slight bitterness to counter the sweetness of the honey and raisin wine. True to ancient Roman form, this recipe includes some garum, or fish sauce, so there is a bit of a funk to it, but it’s not unpleasant.
“Pour over boiled artichokes, this thickened sauce: pound celery seed, rue, honey, pepper, add passum, garum and a little oil. Thicken with starch, sprinkle with pepper and serve. ”
Ingredients:
Artichokes
- 4 artichokes
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 lemon, cut in half
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh rue*, or 2 teaspoons dried Do not eat rue if pregnant
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon long pepper*, or black pepper
- 1 cup, plus a little more (235 ml) raisin wine (passito), divided
- 2 teaspoons garum*, or other fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon wheat starch or cornstarch
*See notes below.
Instructions:
- For the artichokes: Bring a large pot with a gallon of water to a boil, then stir in the 2 tablespoons of salt.
- Wear gloves to prep the artichokes to avoid staining your hands, and cut off the stem of the artichokes so that they sit flat. Slice off the top inch of each artichoke and snap off the small leaves at the base. Rub the cut side of the lemon on the cut parts of the artichoke to prevent them from turning black.
- Put the prepped artichokes into the boiling water. They won’t sink, but that’s okay. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil and cover the pot. Cook them for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the artichokes.
- For the sauce: When it’s been close to 40 minutes, mince the rue and grind the pepper and celery seeds with a mortar and pestle.
- Mix the rue, pepper, and celery seeds in a small pan with the oil, garum, honey, and 1 cup of the raisin wine. Set over low heat and slowly bring to a simmer, whisking constantly.
- When the sauce simmers, dissolve the starch in the reserved wine. Stir the starch mixture into the sauce and let it simmer for 5 minutes, or until it starts to thicken. Take off the heat and set aside.
- To serve: After 40 to 45 minutes, take one of the artichokes out and test to see if it’s done by gently pulling on one of the bottom leaves. If it pops right off and the meat at the bottom scrapes off pretty easily, then it’s done. Transfer the artichokes to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let them cool for about 1 minute, then flip them upside down to drain and cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour a little of the sauce on top and sprinkle on a little bit of pepper. Serve it forth with some extra sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Rue is a bitter herb that was used in a lot of historical recipes. It's mildly toxic and should only be consumed in very small amounts, if at all. Do not eat rue if you are pregnant!
- Long pepper was very popular in ancient Rome. It's hotter than black pepper and has a more aromatic, almost flowery quality to it that's wonderful.
- Garum was a fermented fish sauce that was used in a lot of ancient Roman cooking. You can buy a modern equivalent or use an Asian fish sauce.
- Link for dried rue: https://amzn.to/3BMKf7B
- Link for long pepper: https://amzn.to/3ZfRLDR
- Link for modern garum: https://amzn.to/3f8HkOM
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