Foods of Venice

by Charles Duke February 04, 2019

Venice was a rich region in many aspects, above all the gastronomic. Because it is a region that for centuries had commerce and trade with distant lands, such as the Far East (in which the Venetians learned the the use and value of spices) and Northern Europe. The four key points of Venetian cuisine are: polenta, cod, rice and beans.

Carnevale, which means "farewell to meat," is one of the biggest festivals in Italy and begins two or three weeks before Ash Wednesday. The celebration started to usher in the sober, meat-free period of Lent (the 40 days before Easter). Italians began throwing wild costume parties where revelers ate up all the rich foods they had on hand, including plenty of meat. Traditionally at this time, rules and customs go out the window in favor of beautiful, ornate masked disguises, public plays and exhibitions, and celebratory feasts.

See our full product page of Foods from Venice Here

Polenta e osei

8 ounces pancetta, sliced
8 ounces round of beef fillets
12 leaves fresh sage
1 pound pork loin, cut into fillets
4 boneless Bandera Quail
12 skewers
4 links fennel sausage, removed from casing and cut into chunks
4 ounces pancetta, cubed
2 cups stone ground cornmeal (grits)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
About 1/2 cup basic meat broth
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place 1 slice of pancetta on each beef fillet. Cover with a piece of sage and roll into a tight cylinder. Do the same for the pork and quail. Thread the rolled meats and quail onto the skewers, alternating with chunks of sausage and cubes of pancetta.

Meanwhile, make the polenta: Bring 8 cups salted water to a rolling boil over medium heat in a heavy-gauge saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, pour in the grits in a steady stream, and cook, whisking frequently until the polenta comes away from the sides of the pan and the whisk stands up by itself in the center of the polenta.

While the polenta is cooking, heat the butter in a skillet over low to moderate heat and cook the skewers a few minutes per side until golden. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for 15 minutes, adding broth as necessary to keep the meats from sticking.

Spoon the cooked polenta onto a serving platter. Stick the skewers into the surface of the polenta so that they are standing up straight, and serve the Polenta coi osei with a platter of sautéed greens.

Osei means small birds-thrushes, sparrows, finches. Tiny delicacies with a long gastronomic tradition and many passionate aficionados, small birds are generally prepared grilled, stewed (in umido), or skewered and sautéed. But in the last ten years, their numbers have decreased because of overhunting, and most of those that are left are now thankfully protected by strict anti-hunting laws as endangered species.

Tiramisu

3 egg whites
6 egg yolks
6 tbsp sugar
8 oz mascarpone cheese at room temperature
1 cup freshly made espresso cooled to room temperature
2 tbsp amaretto or spiced rum (or brandy)
3-4 dozen ladyfingers (store-bought )
cocoa powder for dusting

To get started, separate 6 eggs, and place 3 of the egg whites in one bowl, and 6 egg yolks in another.

Add 3 tablespoons of sugar to the egg white bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.

In a seperate bowl, add 3 tablespoons of sugar to the egg yolks. Whip this mixture for a couple minutes, until the mixture goes from bright yellow to a pale yellow color.

Mix in the mascarpone with the hand mixer until incorporated, then gently fold in the stiff egg whites, 1/3 at a time.

Soak lady fingers. When the espresso has cooled to room temperature, combine it with a couple tablespoons of amaretto or spiced rum. Place the espresso mixture in a flat and small dish, so the entire ladyfinger soaks evenly. As you soak the cookies, place them in a 8×8 square dish in an even layer. (You can also prepare in individual ramkins).

Then pour over a layer of the mascarpone cream to cover, and repeat. When finished with this step, leave the tiramisu to sit in the fridge for a solid 4-6 hours.

Serve the tiramisu cold, with a dusting of cocoa powder on top.

risotto al nero di seppie

3 3/4 cups of risotto Rice
1 onion
2 pounds medium cuttlefish, cleaned & diced
ink sacs of the cuttlefish
tomato paste
1 glass of white wine
bunch of parsley, chopped finely
extra virgin oil
vegetable broth

Sautè the onion in a saucepan with extra virgin oil. When it turns golden, add diced cuttlefish. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Now, add tomato paste, chopped parsely (leaving some for later), the rice and toast it for a minute or two. Then, add a glass of white wone, stir using a wooden spoon and let the white wine evaporate.

Then, pour in enough vegetables broth to cover the rice completely and continue to cook, stirring often, until all the vegetable broth is absorbed (remember to cook on low heat).

Keep adding the vegetables broth and stir and cook until the rice is cooked. About 5 minutes before the rice is cooked, pierce the ink sacs with a paring knife on the top of the saucepan, making the contents fall in the sauce. Stir and cook for other 5 minutes.

Finally, sprinkle with minced parsley and enjoy it!

Duck in the Style of Venice

For the duck:

3 duck breasts
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 white onion
herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage)
honey

For the chutney:

1 red onion
1 finely chopped apple
1 cup cane sugar
1 spoon of apple vinegar,
2 cups black or red raisins,
1 cup white raisins
1 spoon of mustard seeds

For pevarada sauce:

6 oz chicken liver
3 anchovy fillets
5 oz soppressa salami
lemon juice with grated rind
half a garlic clove
3 oz sausage meat
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups broth

the duck:

Cut away the unnecessary skin of of the duck breasts. Start to slice open the the skin with cuts before putting the meat to marinade with the herbs and vegetables for 24 h.

Follow this by cooking the duck for 60 minutes at 168°. Once done, put to one side and prepare the chutney.

the chutney:

In a saucepan, add the apple vinegar, onion, apple and cane sugar, then cook over a high heat for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and finish the cooking on a medium for 10/15 minutes. Then let the mixture cool.

the pevarada sauce:

Clean and chop the chicken livers together with the soppressa salami and sausage pasta. Lightly fry in a saucepan the garlic with olive oil. Once browned remove it and add the chopped meats, lemon juice and anchovies. Soak all with 2 cups of broth and allow to cook on a slow heat for about 1 hour. Put to one side.

Finishing

Take the duck breast (previously cooked at low temperature) and reheat it in a hot pan in its own fat. While that is taking place, take a saucepan and add a spoon of chutney together with the pevarada sauce.

Once the duck breast is well-browned cut it into 4 parts and lace it with honey.

Place the duck breast over the pevarada with the chutney beside it and garnish the dish with an apple slice as decoration.

fagioli alla veneta

1 lb. fresh or dried shelled cranberry beans
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbs. parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs. olive oil
10 anchovy fillets
salt
pepper

Boil the beans with very little salt for 45 min. or until tender. Saute the crushed garlic in oil and remove when golden brown. Add the chopped anchovies till they blend in with the oil.

Add vinegar and pepper and reduce to a low simmer for 10 min. Add the chopped parsley, mix well and pour this sauce over the strained beans. Serve the fagioli alla veneta.

baccalà mantecato (Salted Cod)

1 pound salted cod (soaked in water for 48 hours)
6 cups whole milk
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup (120 ml) peanut oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tbsp whole black pepper
1/4 tbsp grounded black pepper

To Soak cod:

Soak the pieces of salted cod in a bowl of material resistant to salt, best if glass or ceramic.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store into the fridge.
Replace the water into the bowl every 8-10 hours
After 24 hours, cut a little piece of salted cod and boil it for a minute, then taste to check if it is still too salty.
If the salted cod is still too salty, extend the soak 24 hours more, replacing the water every 8-10 hours.

Pour the milk combined with 2 cups of water in a sauce pan. Soak the salted cod cut into big pieces into the milk. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of whole black pepper, and 1 clove of garlic coarsely crushed. Place the saucepan on the stove, bring to simmer, then cook very gently simmering for 35 minutes. Finally, cover with a lid, and let rest for 15 minutes far from the stove.

Drain the salted cod and save 1/2 cup of cooked milk and the clove of garlic. Discard the bay leaf and whole black pepper. Remove and discard the skin and bones, then crush the cod with a fork. Put the salted cod in a food processor and combine with 1/4 cup of cooked milk, the ground black pepper, and the clove of garlic. Mix the crushed cod with at low speed, pouring the other 1/4 cup of the milk and the peanut oil very gradually in a thin steam. When all the ingredients are very well combined, raise the speed to medium and beat until the cod fish is firm and whipped.

Serve the baccalà mantecato on toasted bread slices or polenta croutons. If you prefer, save the Venetian salted cod in a closed container into the fridge up to 24 hours. Freezing is not recommended.