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Roman-style apricots, Apicius’s recipe

Roman-style apricots, Apicius’s recipe

Appetizers

An appetizer from ancient Rome: poached apricots in a sauce made with honey, wine, vinegar, garum, pepper, and mint, thickened with starch and served warm.

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Recipe from Mahjon99, Anka, NikiWiki and 3 other contributors, adapted by Recette de cuisine · · updated on

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A dish from ancient Roman cuisine (gustum de praecoquis). Roman cuisine wasn’t limited to large meat dishes; they also enjoyed sweet and savory combinations.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time25 min
  • Cook time15 min
  • Resting30 min
  • Total1 hr 10 min
  • DifficultyEasy
  • CostBudget
  • Cooking methodsaucepan
  • Estimated cost$6.67 $1.67 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 15, 2026.

Ingredients

4 people
  • $4.22
  • $0.27
  • $0.07
  • $1.20
  • $0.44
  • $0.07
  • $0.18
  • $0.22

Prices from US supermarkets for 7 of 8 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits, without peeling them. ≈ 8 min
  2. Let them soak for 30 minutes in a bowl of cold water.
  3. Combine the pepper, dried mint, oil, garum, honey, wine, and vinegar. ≈ 4 min
  4. Place the apricots in a small saucepan, pour in the sauce, mix, and heat over low heat.
  5. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, until the apricots are tender, then remove them.
  6. Mix the starch with a little of the soaking water, then pour it into the sauce and stir until it thickens slightly. ≈ 4 min
  7. Arrange the apricots in a dish or three per person, drizzle with sauce, season with pepper, and garnish with fresh mint. ≈ 2 min
  8. The Romans ate with their fingers; serve it warm, but it’s also good cold. ≈ 2 min

The bill

Roman-style apricots, Apicius’s recipe

  • 6 small apricots$4.22
  • Freshly ground black pepper, in a generous amount$0.27
  • 1 teaspoon of dried mint$0.07
  • 100 grams of honey$1.20
  • 100 ml of red or white wine$0.44
  • 50 ml of wine vinegar$0.07
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil$0.18
  • Fresh mint leaves$0.22

Total$6.67

that's $1.67 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

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Before you start

Ingredients

  • 6 small apricots
  • Freshly ground black pepper, in a generous amount
  • 1 teaspoon of dried mint
  • 1 tablespoon of garum (or fish sauce)
  • 100 grams of honey
  • 100 ml of sparkling wine or ice wine
  • 100 ml of red or white wine
  • 50 ml of wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon of cold water
  • 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
  • Fresh mint leaves

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