Cucina del Veneto (eBook)

DELIGHTFUL LITTLE MORSELS

I think it is impossible to visit Venice only once; you have to return again and again to properly absorb every enticing nuance. And for foodies, what is probably most enticing are the colourful shopfronts which, throughout the city, offer a varied array of snacks, the famous and unique Venetian cicchetti. These shopfronts usually belong to a bacaro, or wine bar, although you can also find cicchetti sold in a ciccheteria, cantina, botega, enoteca or osteria.

The word cicchetti – pronounced ‘chiketti’ – is said to derive from the Latin word, ciccus, which means ‘little’ or ‘nothing’. Cicchetti are the Italian version of the Spanish tapas, tasty morsels to be eaten with a drink. As with tapas, you can make a meal of cicchetti, by ordering multiple plates, for a good and filling meal. And you don’t necessarily have to eat and drink in the same bacaro — you could make your way from bacaro to bacaro, sampling the varied tastes on offer, as well as differing wines. It is a good way of familiarizing yourself with the labyrinthine side-streets of the city.

A glass of wine is the usual accompaniment to a cicchetto. This glass is called ombra, meaning ‘shade’ or ‘shadow’, said to be a reminder of the days when wines were unloaded from boats on to the Riva degli Schiavoni, the broad avenue along the waterfront from St Mark’s Square (now probably the most popular promenade in the world). The wines were sold from shaded stalls which, throughout the day, had to move as the sun moved. The words ‘wine’ and ‘shade’ became so inextricably linked that ‘Andemo bever un’ombra’ ('let’s go to drink a shadow') is now simply the Venetian way of inviting you to go for a drink. The wines in bacari are normally local, from the Veneto, which are very reasonable in price, and are usually served from the tap, rather than from bottles. Occasionally, nowadays, an ombra refers to an Aperol spritz, the luminous orange drink that has become so popular in the last ten years or so.

Bacari are normally situated in the calli (the maze of alleys) off the main Venetian thoroughfares, and are easily identifiable because, in good (or indeed indifferent) weather, there will be a huddle of people standing outside with small glasses in their hands. Inside are shelves of assorted cicchetti, beautifully arranged, colourful and irresistible. The Venetians eat cicchetti in the morning, towards lunch, or in the afternoon as a snack. I must admit that, in the tiny cicchetti bar next to the Rialto cheese shop, I have often seen locals enjoying their Prosecco and cicchetti at ten in the morning!

You don’t have to speak Italian to order, you can just point. You normally eat standing up, using your fingers or a cocktail stick. In a small city where space is at a premium, eating on the hoof, so to speak, makes more sense than sitting down in a restaurant, which takes more time and is much more expensive. (Although I urge you to eat in as many of Venice’s restaurants as you can; many are superb.) With cicchetti, you can eat as much or as little as you like, and you can enjoy a selection of flavours and textures, which is much more interesting than simply an appetizer and main.

Cicchetti are designed to stimulate the appetite, so they are quite big on flavour (which is not mild, it is often sweet and sour, agrodolce). The foods on offer vary from tiny sandwiches to pâtés, olives, salami, eggs, cooked meats and fish, mostly served on small slices of bread or set polenta. In the summer, the cicchetti are smaller and lighter, perhaps using vegetable and salad ingredients. In winter, there might be heavier fare, such as a stew, served on or in a roll. Many cicchetti served with a sauce are offered on small plates. Baccalà mantecato and sarde in saor are two famous Venetian dishes, which are shrunk to cicchetti size, but you can also encounter meatballs, baby octopus, sardines, crab and shrimp, squid, roasted vegetables and cheese combinations. Nervetti – veal and pork cartilage – are boiled and dressed and served as a cicchetti. This might not be to the taste of most non-Italians….

For me, one of the most enthralling aspects of Venetian cicchetti is that the menus in bacari change not only seasonally, but day by day, often – how can they do it? – hour by hour!

ROASTED PEPPER & TUNA CICCHETTI

PEPERONI ARROSTITI CON TONNO

I love the variety of textures, colours and flavours in this simple cicchetti, designed to bring the taste buds to anticipatory life.

1 yellow (bell) pepper

1 red (bell) pepper

6 plum tomatoes

½ ciabatta loaf, cut into thin slices and toasted

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

400 g/14 oz. can tuna in spring water, drained and flaked

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons rinsed and chopped capers

12 black olives, stoned/pitted

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves 4–6

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6. Put the red and yellow peppers on a baking sheet and roast in the hot oven for 20 minutes. Leave until cool enough to handle, then peel away the skins. Halve, core and deseed the peppers, then cut into strips, saving the juices.

Immerse the tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain and peel away the skins. Quarter, core and deseed the tomatoes, then roughly chop the flesh.

Brush the toasted bread slices with oil and the reserved roasted pepper juices. Mix the peppers, tomatoes and flaked tuna together in a bowl, then spoon on to the slices of bread. Top with the herbs, capers and olives.

Drizzle the red wine vinegar and the rest of the extra virgin olive oil over the bread slices, season well with salt and pepper and enjoy!

WHAT TO DRINK

Made famous in Venetian enoteca, but now everywhere, cicchetti are small bites with big flavours. When having fun, the people of the Veneto turn to their favourite bubbly drink – Prosecco! For an extra bit of fun, try Fiol Prosecco Rosé, an innovative yet classic example of Prosecco. This wine blends two grapes Glera and Pinot Noir, with the latter adding both texture and colour. With elegant bubbles, Fiol Prosecco Rosé has notes of raspberries, wild strawberries and citrus followed by a long, persistent finish.

BROAD BEAN PURÉE CICCHETTI

PURÉ DI FAVE

Enjoy this wonderful purée during the very brief, early Summer broad/fava bean season.

500 g/1 lb. 2 oz. podded fresh or frozen broad/fava beans

2 garlic cloves, peeled

50 g/2 oz. crustless white bread

about 2 tablespoons milk

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

12–16 slices of ciabatta bread

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO GARNISH

fresh mint leaves

grated lemon zest

Serves 6–8

Add the broad beans to a saucepan of simmering water along with one of the garlic cloves. Cook at a low simmer for 5 minutes until the beans are tender. Drain the beans and garlic, reserving 2 tablespoons of the liquid and set aside to cool.

Place the bread in a bowl and pour on enough milk to moisten it.

Slip the broad beans out of their white skins and discard the skins. This will give you a really creamy purée. Put the bright emerald beans, both garlic cloves and the bread with its milk into a food processor. Whiz to a coarse purée, gradually adding the olive oil through the funnel. If the purée is very thick, add a little of the reserved bean cooking liquid. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4. Bake the ciabatta for 10–12 minutes until crisp and golden. Moisten the bread with a little oil, then serve with the purée and mint leaves and lemon zest to garnish.

Illustrated on page 16.

PROSCIUTTO WITH FRESH FIGS & MOZZARELLA CICCHETTI

PROSCIUTTO CON FICHI FRESCHI E MOZZARELLA

Ripe and flavourful fresh figs are essential to create this delicious plate.

150 g/5 oz. fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese

2–3 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

8 slices of prosciutto

4 slices of bread, toasted

2 ripe, fresh figs, halved vertically

large handful of pine nuts, toasted

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

lemon wedges, to serve (optional)

Serves 4

Tear the fresh buffalo mozzarella into pieces and place in a bowl. Dress the mozzarella with a little aged balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Season the mozzarella with a little salt and a generous grinding of black pepper.

Pile 2 slices of prosciutto and some of the dressed mozzarella onto each toasted bread slice and top with half a fresh fig and some toasted pine nuts. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over, if liked.

Illustrated on page 20.

CHICKEN LIVER CICCHETTI

FEGATINI DI POLLO

A very old recipe, well worth the effort and it improves with age. This is rich,...