Fegato alla Veneziana: Venice’s Sweet-and-Savory Classic
Tender calf’s liver meets slow-cooked onions in this Venetian favorite, a rich, silky dish best savored with creamy polenta and a glass of local wine.
VENETOFOOD
Thin slices of calf’s liver, dueling onions, and the hint of white wine’s tartness—fegato alla veneziana is one of those recipes where you’re taken aback by the simple and refined elegance of the thing. Venice-style liver is not merely a recipe; it’s a paean to the interplay of land and sea, of sweet and salty, old and new.
History and Origins:
This dish has roots that stretch back to ancient Rome, when liver was often cooked with figs (ficatum, from which the Italian word fegato comes) to mask its strong flavor. In Venice, figs were replaced by the sweetness of slowly cooked white onions, which paired perfectly with the rich, iron-y taste of calf’s liver. It became a staple in the lagoon’s taverns (bacari), served with soft polenta bianca as a filling, everyday meal for workers and merchants.
Ingredients and Preparation:
Simple yet sophisticated fegato alla Veneziana needs only a few superstar ingredients: fresh calf’s liver, white onions (lots of them), butter or olive oil, white wine, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Sliced onions are slowly sautéed over low heat so they are soft and sweet. Sliced liver is added and stirred on high heat for a minute or two in order not to lose their tenderness. White wine is poured in a flash to deglaze the pan and create a savory and slightly sweet sauce. Traditionally, served on top of a mountain of white creamy polenta to soak up every single drop.
Where to Try It:
For the real deal, go to Trattoria Antiche Carampane or Cantina Do Spade in Venice, where the dish has been honed over the decades. In the less busy Cannaregio neighbourhood, Osteria Anice Stellato serves a more elegant preparation with organic liver from local producers. Most bacari offer mini versions as cicchetti, the local response to tapas.
Humans:
Fegato alla veneziana is the ultimate proof that tradition, done the proper way, is forever in vogue. A history-and-flavor bridging dish, it makes you slow down and have a sip of vino and let the onions' sweetness and the liver's richness tell their story of centuries.