Lecture 5: Classical Greece—Wine, Olive Oil, and Trade
about foods and how to prepare them. The following is a reconstructed recipe
based on his commentary about karcharia, probably a kind of small shark.From Archestratus’s The Life of Luxury, translated by John Wilkins
and Shaun Hill, p. 59–60
Take two shark steaks and place them in a ceramic casserole with a handful
of basil leaves, sprinkle them with ground cumin and salt, and drizzle
on a generous amount of olive oil. Bake these in a 350-degree oven for
40 minutes. Serve topped with a dollop of “pounded sauce,” which is an
ancestor of pesto. Make the sauce by taking a handful of basil, a small garlic
clove, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt, and pound in a mortar until
smooth and fi ne. Serve on top of the shark steak. Because the description
only says to use “fragrant leaves,” feel free to substitute another herb such
as parsley or sage, but because basil comes from the Greek word basileus,
meaning “king,” it seems appropriate. If you are so inclined, eat this with
your fi ngers while reclining on a couch. Serve with a fragrant retsina, a white
wine fl avored with mastic resin.