Venice lagoon, Veneto — schie are specific to the brackish waters of the Venice lagoon and the surrounding Adriatic estuaries. They are one of the hyperlocal products that define Venetian cooking's identity — not cooked elsewhere, because they do not exist elsewhere in the same form.
Schie are the tiny, grey lagoon shrimp (Crangon crangon) specific to the Venice lagoon — smaller than a human thumbnail, sold live or very fresh, and prepared in the simplest possible way: sautéed briefly in olive oil and garlic, then mounded on soft, creamy polenta. They are too small to peel — eaten whole, shell and all, the crunch of the shell providing a textural element. Schie are a dish of absolute seasonal and geographic specificity: available only in the Veneto lagoon, at their best in autumn and spring, and not transportable (they deteriorate within hours of capture). They are the taste of the Venice lagoon itself.
Schie on white polenta is one of the most delicate preparations in the Venetian repertoire — the tiny shrimp are sweet and slightly briny; their shells add a faint crunch; the olive oil and garlic are barely there. The white polenta beneath them is soft, slightly sweet, and clean. The combination is the lagoon and the field — Venice, distilled.
The schie should be purchased live or within hours of catch — they deteriorate rapidly. Rinse briefly in cold water (do not soak). Heat olive oil in a wide pan until shimmering. Add the schie in a single layer (they should sizzle immediately on contact). Add sliced garlic immediately after. Cook 2-3 minutes total — they are fully cooked when they turn uniformly pink. Season with salt and a small squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately on a mound of soft, creamy polenta (made with white Vicentina polenta flour for the authentic preparation). The polenta should be freshly made, still loose and creamy.
White polenta (polenta bianca, made from white maize — the Veneto preference) is the correct base; yellow polenta has a stronger flavour that competes with the delicate shrimp. In Venice, schie con polenta are served at cicchetti bars (the Venetian bar snack tradition) alongside other lagoon fish preparations — they are a bar food as much as a restaurant dish.
Overcooking — 2-3 minutes total is correct; the tiny shrimp become rubbery almost instantly. Adding too much garlic — schie's delicate flavour is easily overwhelmed. Using dried or frozen schie — they are worthless; freshness is the entire preparation.
Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking; Slow Food Editore, Veneto in Cucina