Dulcia domestica — honey-stuffed dates from the mensae secundae
Pitted dates stuffed with peppered walnuts and pine nuts, rolled in salt then candied in honey: the sweet-and-sour treat that closed the Roman meal.
Pitted dates stuffed with peppered walnuts and pine nuts, rolled in salt then candied in honey: the sweet-and-sour treat that closed the Roman meal.
The banquet draws to a close, but we do not part without sweetness. Take these dates: we remove the stone, fill them with crushed walnuts and pine nuts sharpened with a grain of pepper, roll them for an instant in salt — yes, salt, don't pull that face — then leave them to candy in warm honey. The salt awakens the sugar, you see, like a retort revives a flagging conversation. Eat them warm, and keep this last taste of me rather than the slanders of the Forum.
- •Dates — a bowlful (base)
- •Walnuts and pine nuts — a handful (stuffing)
- •Pepper — a pinch (spice)
- •Salt — for rolling (contrast)
- •Honey — for candying (coating)
Dulcia domestica — honey-stuffed dates from the mensae secundae
Pitted dates stuffed with peppered walnuts and pine nuts, rolled in salt then candied in honey: the sweet-and-sour treat that closed the Roman meal.
Why this dish? At the end of the banquet, when the sweets were brought in, these stuffed and honey-fried dates circulated among the reclining guests. For a hostess concerned with refinement like Clodia, they were the expected finale of a successful cena.
The banquet draws to a close, but we do not part without sweetness. Take these dates: we remove the stone, fill them with crushed walnuts and pine nuts sharpened with a grain of pepper, roll them for an instant in salt — yes, salt, don't pull that face — then leave them to candy in warm honey. The salt awakens the sugar, you see, like a retort revives a flagging conversation. Eat them warm, and keep this last taste of me rather than the slanders of the Forum.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dates — a bowlful (base)
- Walnuts and pine nuts — a handful (stuffing)
- Pepper — a pinch (spice)
- Salt — for rolling (contrast)
- Honey — for candying (coating)
Ingredients
- Medjool dates — 12 (base)
- Walnut halves and pine nuts — 60 g (stuffing)
- Ground black pepper — 1 pinch (spice)
- Fine salt — 1 tsp (contrast)
- Honey — 4 tbsp (coating)
Method
- Pit the dates by slitting them open on one side.
- Chop the walnuts and pine nuts, mix with a pinch of pepper, then stuff each date.
- Briefly roll the stuffed dates in fine salt, then tap off the excess.
- Heat the honey over low heat in a small pan.
- Candy the dates in the warm honey for a few minutes, turning them, until well coated and glossy.
- Serve warm, drizzled with a little of the cooking honey.
How it was made : The recipe for 'dulcia domestica' appears in Apicius: pitted dates stuffed with walnuts, pine nuts, or ground pepper, rolled in salt and fried in cooked honey. The interplay of salt and sugar was deliberate, in keeping with the Roman logic of flavor contrast.
The contemporary twist : Present as mignardises on a slate, with a last-minute sprinkle of fleur de sel and a sliver of pistachio (present in the ancient Mediterranean) for color.
Sources : Apicius, De re coquinaria, book VII (Dulcia domestica)
Clodia Metella · Charactorium