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Small PlatesMediumItalian
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.
⏱️ Prep: 45min🍳 Cook: 20min⏰ Total: 65min👥 Serves: 12🌡️ Mixed
⚠️ Contains: 🐟 Fish, 🌾 Gluten
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
- For baccalà mantecato: simmer cod until tender, drain and flake
- Beat cod with olive oil and garlic until creamy and spreadable
- For sarde in saor: flour and fry sardines until golden
- Sauté onions until soft, add vinegar, pine nuts, raisins
- Layer sardines with onion mixture, marinate overnight
- Serve baccalà on crostini, sardines at room temperature
💡 Pro Tips
Baccalà needs 2-3 days soaking with water changes. Sarde in saor improves after 24 hours.
📜 History
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.
Also pairs well with:
proseccospritzwhite wine