Friuli-Venezia Giulia
A stark, powerful fish preparation from the lagoon town of Grado — whole small fish (go, moeche crab, scampi or mixed fish) cooked only in olive oil, white wine vinegar and garlic with no liquid, no tomato and no aromatics beyond garlic and black pepper. The fish stews in a reduced acid-oil medium until almost dry. Nothing else. The technique is the complete opposite of the delicate Venetian approach — aggressive, bold and deeply funky from the reduction.
Aggressively acidic, concentrated and pungently fishy; the reduction creates an almost vinegar candy coating; black pepper adds heat; polenta is essential to manage the intensity — a dish of extreme flavour that rewards courage
{"Use only local Adriatic fish — boreto is a fisherman's dish built on the variety of the day's catch","The vinegar is not a condiment but the cooking medium — use white wine vinegar in quantity (50ml per serving)","No liquid other than vinegar — no water, no wine, no broth; the fish must cook in the oil-vinegar reduction","Cook uncovered so the vinegar reduces completely and the fish becomes almost dry with a concentrated glaze","Black pepper is added in substantial quantity — it is a flavour element, not a garnish"}
{"The dark, reduced vinegar-oil glaze left in the pan after serving is extraordinary — mop with bread","The 'go' (Gobius fish from the Grado lagoon) is the traditional fish of choice; sardines or small bream are the mainland substitute","Polenta is the traditional accompaniment — the mild starch is the necessary foil to the intensely acidic fish"}
{"Adding water or wine to dilute the vinegar — this defeats the entire purpose; the reduction is the technique","Covering the pan — steam prevents the vinegar from reducing and the glaze from forming","Using delicate fish that break apart — boreto works best with firm-fleshed fish that hold their shape through aggressive cooking"}
La Cucina di Trieste e Grado — Incontro di Culture al Confine