London has no shortage of Italian restaurants, but we’ve been critically low on restaurants cooking the food of ancient Rome. Jacob Kenedy, chef-patron of Soho institution Bocca di Lupo, has partnered with Rome-based British food writer and cookbook author Rachel Roddy to rectify that throughout January. The duo has created a menu of dishes inspired by Apicius, a recipe collection dating back to at least the 5th century AD, compiled by notable ancient glutton Marcus Gavius Apicius – and there’s not a carbonara or cacio e pepe in sight.
“Tomatoes, potatoes and pasta – three cornerstones of modern Roman cooking … simply weren’t there in ancient times,” Kenedy says – but he notes a few parallels with today, including olive oil, “pungent fish flavours” (from garum, an ancient Roman fish sauce that’s used throughout the new menu) and wine. “Herbs have changed – where once was bitter celery stands today heady-sweet basil – as have spices: coriander and cumin are out, chilli is in.”
Instead of dishes contemporary diners would recognise as Roman, you’ll find starters like orzata barica, a soup of grains and greens, and oysters paired with a cumin and white balsamic sauce – a combination Kenedy says is “an eye-opener”. Mussels, clams and squid are simmered with white wine, dates and celery for a seafood stew, while wild duck is cooked with bay and prunes. Sugarcane hadn’t yet made it to Europe during this period, so desserts lean on honey instead: savillum, a baked cheesecake that riffs on one from the 2nd century BC, is finished with honey and poppyseeds. There’s also an ancient Roman frozen dessert, nivatae potiones, made of shaved ice layered with honeyed dates, apricots, tamarind, pomegranate seeds and pistachios.
“Of the desserts, I don’t think there can be a bigger contrast than between the cheesecake (indulgently rich) and the sweet ice (zingy and refreshing) – even though both ride on the interplay between rich nuts and sweet fruits,” says Kenedy.
The menu is the fourth collaboration between Kenedy and Roddy, who moved to Rome more than 20 years ago and writes the Guardian’s “A Kitchen in Rome” column. “Rome is a city close to our hearts – it is Rachel’s home and was my mum’s when she was growing up – and it is a place where you walk always amongst the ancients,” Kenedy says. “The [ancient Roman] idea sang to both of us, and when we started researching what we might cook with [head chef] Gareth Saywell, we all knew it was a winner.”
Bocca di Lupo’s ancient Roman menu runs until January 31.
