Aliter in Apro (Wild Boar, Another Way) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic sauce of pepper, lovage, oregano, myrtle berries, coriander and onions in a honey, wine and stock base that's thickened with starch and served with roast wild boar or game. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Wild Boar, Another Way (Aliter in Apro).
Aliter in apro: teres piper, ligusticum, origanum, bacas myrtae extenteras, coriandrum, cepas, suffundes mel, vinum, liquamen, oleum modice, calefacies, amulo obligas. aprum in furno coctum perfundes. hoc et in omne genus carnis ferinae facies.
Translation
Wild Boar, Another Way: [Pound together] pepper, lovage, oregano, de-seeded myrtle berries, coriander and onions. Moisten with honey, wine, liquamen, a little olive oil. Heat and thicken with starch. Roast the boar in the oven and pour the sauce over it. This recipe will work for all kinds of wild game.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
3kg haunch or leg of wild boar or pork, for roasting
For the Sauce:
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp lovage seeds (or celery seeds)
1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1 tsp seedless myrtle berries (or juniper berries)
1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely shredded
1 tbsp shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp honey
60ml red wine
200ml pork or beef stock
2 tbsp liquamen
1 tsp cornflour (originally wheat starch (amulum) would have been used)
Method:
For how to roast the wild boar, refer to this site's guide to roasting.
About 1 hour before the meat is due to be ready, prepare the sauce. Pound together the black pepper, lovage (or celery) seeds, oregano and myrtle (or juniper) berries in a mortar. Add the coriander leaves and shallot and pound until you have a paste. Work in the honey, liquamen and red wine then pour into a pan and mix in the meat stock. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
Mix the cornflour to a slurry with 2 tbsp water then whisk into the sauce. Bring back to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened then take off the heat. Either re-heat and pour over the roast pork as it's due to be served, or, finish the meat in the sauce for the final 30 minutes of cooking.
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