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Links to Recipes
Pears Poached in Wine with Thyme
PEARS POACHED IN WINE with thyme
Ingredients: Pears
Red Wine
Honey
A few leaves of Thyme
Mix enough wine to cover the number of pears you want to poach with plenty of honey to your taste, and tear in the thyme leaves. Bring to the boil.
Place peeled pears (whole ones are fine, but you can slice them if you prefer) into the liquid, reduce heat to simmering and poach for about 30 mins, turning frequently.
The liquid may be reduced further after poaching and used to pour over the pears before serving.
ROMAN THICK EGG CUSTARD
Ingredients: Milk
Eggs
Honey
Nutmeg (or Cinnamon)
This recipe, strictly speaking, resembles a less-firm 'panna cotta' rather than 'custard'. It can also be served (and was!) as a savoury dish with less honey, and with pepper replacing the sweet spices.
Dissolve several dessert-spoons of honey (to taste) in milk. Using 5 eggs to I pint, or 3 eggs to ½ pint, work the eggs into the milk and honey mixture until smooth. Strain and bake in a medium oven (time will depend on quantity - keep checking until it is firm).
Sprinkle with the spices (or pepper!) before serving.
BAKED STUFFED PEACHES
Ingredients: Peaches
Honey
Chopped Crystallised Ginger
Chopped Almonds
Ground Cinnamon
Cut peaches in half and remove the stones.
Make a thick paste by combining the rest of the ingredients and fill the stone-holes: fit the peaches back together (you can 'glue' them with the mixture or just plain honey). Wrap the peaches in tin-foil (if you do not have vine- or fig-leaves available…!) and bake in the ashes of the BBQ. You had best experiment with the time needed - it will be a good 15 mins before they are warmed through, but you may prefer them softer.
The peaches may of course be baked in the oven in the manner of baked potatoes!
Roman Honey Cake
Ingredients: Flour
Flaked blanched almonds
Ground Cinnamon
Ground dried Rosemary
Honey
Milk
Grape or Grapefruit Juice
Sweet White Wine
Chopped Hazelnuts
Baking Powder
This recipe makes enough cake-mixture for a 9-inch baking tin.
Mix a cup and a quarter of flour with a teaspoon of baking powder. Crush a quarter of a cup of flaked almonds (roughly), and add, along with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of ground dried rosemary.
In another cup, dissolve 2 tablespoons of honey in a half-cup of sweet wine (muscadet), add a quarter of a cup of sharp fruit juice (grape or grapefruit) and top up to a full cup with milk. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients to form a cake-mix.
Grease a 9-inch baking tin with oil, and pour the mixture in evenly. Bake in a medium-to-hot oven for 20-25 minutes (the colour of the cake will show when to remove: do not let it get too brown). Turn the cake out and allow to cool.
Before serving, coat with honey and decorate with chopped hazelnuts; you can also prick with a fork and drizzle some more sweet wine in if you like! The cake goes well chopped into small pieces and served with fruit such as cherries or strawberries.
Challenge your guests to identify the mystery ingredient (rosemary)! It's obvious - once you know!
Fresh fruits and nuts
Just as common and popular would be bowls of fruit and nuts.
Choose your own selection - but try to keep it authentic!