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Italian

Cicchetti Veneziani

Venice traditional small plates, the Venetian equivalent of Spanish tapas. These bite-sized delights range from topped crostini to marinated seafood, enjoyed standing at bacaro counters with local wine.

Small PlatesMediumItalian
Prep45 minCook20 minTotal65 minServes12TempMixed
⚠ Contains: 🐟 Fish, 🌾 Gluten
Recipe
Ingredients
  • 8 ozSalt cod (baccalà)(soaked and desalted)
  • 1 cupExtra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cloveGarlic
  • 8Fresh sardines(cleaned)
  • 1/2 cupWhite wine vinegar
  • 2 largeOnions(thinly sliced)
  • 2 tbspPine nuts
  • 2 tbspRaisins
  • 12Crusty bread rounds
Make Ahead

Sarde in saor keeps 5 days refrigerated. Baccalà mantecato keeps 3 days.

Instructions
  1. 1For baccalà mantecato: simmer cod until tender, drain and flake
  2. 2Beat cod with olive oil and garlic until creamy and spreadable
  3. 3For sarde in saor: flour and fry sardines until golden
  4. 4Sauté onions until soft, add vinegar, pine nuts, raisins
  5. 5Layer sardines with onion mixture, marinate overnight
  6. 6Serve baccalà on crostini, sardines at room temperature
Notes
Pro Tips

Baccalà needs 2-3 days soaking with water changes. Sarde in saor improves after 24 hours.

History & Origin

Traditional Venetian bar snacks served at bacari (traditional Venetian wine bars). Name possibly derives from Latin ciccus meaning small quantity. Tradition dates back centuries as way for Venetians to enjoy small bites with ombra (shadow of wine). Classic examples include baccalà mantecato, sarde in saor, and various crostini.

Pairs Well With
proseccospritzwhite wine
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