Dormice

These were considered a great delicacy by the Romans and were raised in special earthenware jars. The animals have also apparently been an important food source in Slovenia and are still eaten today. Two recipes have survived from Roman times:

• Glazed with honey and rolled in poppy seeds (Petronius, Cap. 31)
• Stuffed them with a mixture of pork mince, dormouse meat trimmings, pepper, nuts, asafoetida and nuoc mam and then roasting or boiling them (Apicius 8.9.1)

Apicius' Recipe for Dormice:

Glires: isicio porcino, item pulpis ex omni membro glirium trito, cum pipere, nucleis, lasere, liquamine farcies glires, et sutos in tegula positos mittesin furnum aut farsos in clibano coques.

Is stuffed with a forcemeat of pork and small pieces of dormouse meat trimmings, all pounded with pepper, nuts, laser, broth. Put the dormouse thus stuffed in an earthen casserole, roast it in the oven, or boil it in the stock pot. (Apicius 8.9.1)

Petronius' Recipe for Dormice (use chicken):