At the table: Venetian

It’s not just the sights of Venice, the capital of Italy’s north-eastern Veneto region, that will have you weak at the knees. Its simple, flavourful food, shaped by centuries of trade, is just as alluring.

Source: Chris Chen

The food of Venice tells the story of the city’s history – independent for over a millennium, the city was a powerful trade hub linking Europe and the rest of the world. Venetian cuisine is known for its use of spices and dried fruit, and dishes such as sardines in sweet and sour sauce (page 66) speak of the influences of trade with the East.

Although bigoli in salsa (page 66) is a Venetian classic, pasta is not a staple here – instead, polenta takes pride of place, and rice dishes such as risi e bisi, a soupy risotto traditionally offered to the ruler of Venice on St Mark’s feast day, are also common.

Dishes such as the iconic salt cod crostini (below) also tell of the tradition of cichèti, snacks that are served in the bàcari (bars) tucked away in Venice’s back streets. And not surprisingly for a city built on water, seafood plays a central role in the cuisine, whether served as a main, used to flavour stocks and sauces, or grilled and eaten as snacks.

 

Recipes

Salt cod crostini (crostini di Baccala mantecato)

Venetian-style calf liver (fegato alla Veneziana)

Venetian-style fried custard (crema fritta alla veneziana)

 

 

Photography Chris Chen.

 

As seen in Feast magazine, April 2014, Issue 30.