Name: For All Kinds of Shellfish (In Omne Genus Conchyliorum)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Roman
Ingredients: 1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper; 1/2 tsp lovage seeds (or celery seeds); 1 tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 1/2 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp liquamen (fish sauce); 250ml shellfish stock; 1 tsp honey; 1 bayleaf (optional); 1/4 tsp ground spikenard leaf (optional)

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In Omne Genus Conchyliorum (For All Kinds of Shellfish)

In Omne Genus Conchyliorum (For All Kinds of Shellfish) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic cumin-based sauce with herbs, pepper and lovage in a honey and stock base that's intended to be served with any kind of shellfish. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: For All Kinds of Shellfish (In Omne Genus Conchyliorum).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

30 minutes

Total Time:

50 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Sauce Recipes Spice Recipes Herb Recipes Ancient Roman Recipes

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Original Recipe

In Omne Genus Conchyliorum (from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria) IX, vii

In omne genus conchyliorum: piper, ligusticum, petroselinum, mentam siccam, cuminum plusculum, mel, liquamen. si voles, folium et malabathrum addes.

Translation

For All Kinds of Shellfish: Pepper, lovage, parsley, dried mint, plenty of cumin, honey and liquamen. If you wish, also add some bayleaf and spikenard.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp lovage seeds (or celery seeds)
1 tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp liquamen (fish sauce)
250ml shellfish stock
1 tsp honey
1 bayleaf (optional)
1/4 tsp ground spikenard leaf (optional)

Method:

Pound together the pepper, lovage, parsley, mint and cumin in a mortar. Work in the honey, liquamen and shellfish stock then turn into a pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, or until thickened.

If desired you can flavour the sauce with bayleaf and spikenard root.

The sauce can be poured over shellfish of all kinds, or it can be used as the base for a sauce to cook shellfish in.

Find more recipes from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria along with information on Apicius and his cookbook, all part of this site's Ancient Roman recipes collection.