Fegato alla veneziana
Venice's calf's liver with soft, sweet onions, served on polenta
Fegato alla veneziana is one of the oldest dishes in Venice and still a weekday staple in the trattorie around the Rialto market. Mountains of onions are cooked gently until soft and sweet, then thin strips of calf's liver are tossed through them for barely two minutes, so the liver stays tender against the jammy onions, with a splash of vinegar and parsley to finish. The classic partner is soft white or yellow polenta, which soaks up the buttery juices. Chef's tip: slice the liver into thin strips, no thicker than your little finger, so it cooks through in moments without going tough.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the liver
For the polenta
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring 5 ¼ cups water and 1 tsp salt to the boil. Pour in 9 oz polenta (cornmeal) in a thin stream, whisking constantly, then turn the heat to very low.
5 minStep 2: Cook the polenta, stirring every few minutes, until thick and creamy and no longer gritty, about 40 minutes. Stir in ⅔ oz butter and keep warm, loosening with hot water if it stiffens.
40 minStep 3: Meanwhile, put 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 oz butter in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add 4 white onions and half the ½ tsp salt, cover and cook, stirring now and then, until very soft, sweet and pale gold, about 30 minutes.
30 minStep 4: Turn the heat up to high, push the onions to the side and add 1 ⅓ lb calf's liver in one layer. Season with ½ tsp black pepper and the rest of the ½ tsp salt.
Step 5: Toss the liver with the onions for 2–3 minutes until browned outside and just cooked through with no pink juices. Don't cook it longer: overcooked liver is the most common mistake, and it turns grainy and leathery within a minute.
3 minStep 6: Splash in 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, add 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, toss once and serve at once over the polenta.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fegato alla veneziana take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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