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Home » Seasonal » Summer » Cicchetti 3 Easy Venetian Appetiser Recipes

July 29, 2018 By Janice Pattie 18 Comments

Cicchetti 3 Easy Venetian Appetiser Recipes

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Board with open sandwiches - Cicchetti from Venice
Cicchetti 3 Easy Venetian Appetisers

I like to bring back a recipe or two from my travels abroad and as we recently visited Venice, Italy. So I’m bringing you, Cicchetti 3 Easy Venetian Appetiser recipes. These little open sandwiches are absolutely delicious and so easy to make. 

Board of Cicchettie appetisers

Venice

We had an amazing four days to enjoy Venice. It’s a remarkable city with its glittering gold Basilica and towering Campanile in St Mark’s Square.

Campanile in St Marks Square Cicchetti 3 Easy Venetian Appetiser Recipes

If you visit Venice don’t miss the ornate Doge’s Palace and my favourite place, the elegant Peggy Guggenheim Modern Art Museum.  There is so much to see and, of course, everywhere you go you see the iconic canals and gondolas.

  • Peggy Guggenheim Musseum outside
  • Grand Canal from Peggy Guggenheim Museum
  • Entrance to Peggy Guggenheim Museum from Grand Canal

Gondola on the Grand Canal

If you visit Venice take a ride in a gondola, it is expensive but it is such a great experience.  We had the good fortune to be in Venice at the same time as my blogging friend Christina of Christina’s Cucina. 

We met up with Christina and her mother on our first night in Venice for a pre-dinner drink. and thought that would be our only chance to get together.

The next evening Christina messaged me to ask if we wanted to join them for a gondola ride, it took us zero seconds to say YES and 15 minutes later we were on a gondola heading towards the Grand Canal!

Venice, gondolas and Cicchetti 3 Easy Venetian Appetiser Recipes

About Gondolas

Did you know that gondolas are counterweighted so they balance evenly when the gondolier stands to one side? 

They are also asymmetrical in shape because the gondolier uses only one oar due to the narrowness of the canals.  If they were straight they would simply go round in circles!

Venice the Gondolier and Cicchetti 3 Easy Venetian Appetiser Recipes

Fabio, our gondolier

Venice, Gondolas and eating Cicchetti 3 Easy Venetian Appetiser Recipes

With Christina and Lidia

Cicchetti – Recipe Inspired by Venice

Board of Cicchetti

What are Cicchetti?

They are small appetisers you eat with an aperitif in the bars of Venice. We didn’t actually eat any Cicchetti in Venice. We took the Vaparetto (water bus) to visit the Venetian island of Burano and I saw a Cicchetteria and decided we just had to try these local delicacies.

Order a selection of  Cicchetti ours came on a wooden board.  There were with slices of bread and slices of cold polenta topped with fish and seafood or vegetables, like artichokes and tomatoes.

There were also skewers of cooked prawns.  It was a really filling meal and it was fun to try the different varieties.

The Burano Ciccheteria where I was inpisred to create Cicchetti 3 Easy Venetian Appetisers

Cicchetteria

We visited Buatno on a very hot day, so it was great to sit in the shade beneath that red awning. We each tried all the varieties of Cicchetti all washed down with a welcome cold glass of beer.

View of Burano-recreating Cicchetti Easy Recipes to make at home

Burano and Murano

Burano is a beautiful island, traditionally a fishing community. It is also famous for its lacemaking and the brightly painted houses that you see in these photos.

Burano is much prettier than the island of Murano which is famous for its glass making, We did visit  Murano, but it seemed to be mainly either very high-end expensive shops or souvenir shops.

Bread with fish and vegetable toppings

Make Cicchetti at home

Once I returned home I wanted to recreate these delicious little bites. So I  created these 3 Easy Venetian Appetiser Recipes.

These are Cicchetti-style recipes which to make at home using ingredients you can get in the supermarket.

Bread or Polenta?

I made all of the open sandwiches with slices of bread because it is quick and easier than making polenta.

Recreate the flavours

I don’t make any claim that my Cicchettii recipes are authentic.  What I’ve tried to do is recreate some of the flavours from the platter of Cicchetti we enjoyed on the beautiful Venetian island of Burano.

Smoked Mackerel in mustard Sauce

Smoked Mackerel in Mustard Sauce

As Venice is surrounded by water, fish is a must for this selection of Cicchetti. On one hand, Smoked Mackerel is not native to the Venetian coast on the other mackerel is native to the British coast, and it is one of my favourite fish! The mustard sauce is similar to the one we were served in Burano.

Arichoke and parsley on bread

Artichoke Hearts with Parsley Dressing and Grano Padano

A simple jar of artichoke hearts and some shavings of Grano Padano cheese this Cicchetti is not only easy to make but also, probably the most authentic too.

Bread topped with cream cheese and radishes

Cream Cheese with Quick Pickled Radishes

This is probably the least authentic topping for the Cicchetti. However, radishes are very easy to grow in the garden, and they are so good pickled with a little white wine vinegar and a little salt and sugar.

The radishes contrast very nicely with the soft bland tatse of the cream cheese. I like to grind over some black pepper for a bit of extra kick.

More Appetiser Recipes from Farmesgirl Kitchen

Golden Turmeric Fries, so delicious with Coriander and mint Dip

Golden Turmeric Fries with Coriander and Mint Dip elevates the classic comfort food of chips (fries) to an impressive appetiser, party canape or as a tasty snack to enjoy with friends and family.

Summer calls out for Avocado and Olive Salsa with HealthyFry Tortilla Chips

The sun is shining and what better way to enjoy the sunshine than to sit outside with a chilled glass of a delicious drink and a bowl of this Avocado and Olive Salsa with AirFryer Tortilla Chips.

Bread from Madeira Bola do Caco

Bola do Caco is a local bread from the beautiful island of Madeira.   It is a stovetop pan baked bread often served as an appetiser with garlic butter.  Let me show you how to make it, it’s really very simple.

More Light Bites Recipes

  • Nori-Wrapped Hot Smoked Salmon Bites with Miso mayonnaise – Kavey Eats
  • Cucumber Roll-Ups with a Garlicky Feta & Mint filling – Tin & Thyme
  • Tomato & Tarragon Bruschetta – Lost in Food
Cicchetti 3 Easy Venetian Appetisers

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Cicchetti

Farmersgirl Kitchen
3 Venetian Appetisers – Smoked Mackerel in a mustard sauce, Artichoke hearts with grana padano and parsley dressing and soft fresh cheese with pickled radishes all served on slices of bread.
4.5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

  • 12 slices of bread, lightly buttered (see notes) filone. baguette or sourdough

Smoked Mackerel in Mustard Sauce

  • 1 medium smoked mackerel fillet, skinned and roughly flaked
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 lemon juice only
  • 2 gherkins sliced
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Artichoke Hearts with Grana Padano and Parsley dressing

  • 4 artichoke hearts in oil
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon, juice only
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 100 g grana padano or parmesan shavings
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cream Cheese with Quick Pickled Radishes

  • 50 g soft cheese cream cheese, ricotta or quark
  • 4 medium red radishes, sliced or 6 small radishes
  • 60 ml white wine or cider vinegar
  • 60 ml water
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
  • zest of half a lemon in fine strips
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

Smoked Mackerel in Mustard Sauce

  • Mix the mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice together,
  • Add the flaked smoked mackerel to the mayonnaise mixture,  season to taste.
  • Pile the smoked mackerel mixture onto slices of bread and top with a slice of gherkin

Artichoke Hearts with Grana Padano and parsley dressing

  • Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and finely chopped parsley together, season to taste.
  • Cut the artichoke hearts into halves or quarters, depending on size and gently mix with the dressing. 
  • Divide the dressed artichoke hearts onto the slices of bread and top with shavings of Grano Padano cheese. 

Cream Cheese with Quick Pickled Radishes

  • First, make the quick pickled radishes, wash the radishes and slice thinly and pack them into a  jar. Mix together the water, vinegar, salt and sugar and pour over the radishes.  Leave for 15 minutes then use. 
  • Spread the bread thickly with cream cheese, ricotta or quark. 
  • Top with the quick pickled radishes and garnish with thin strips of lemon rind. 

Notes

I used a sourdough loaf and cut the slices in half.  As long as it’s a crusty type of bread it should work fine. 
I didn’t butter the bread as we don’t eat a lot of butter, but the butter will prevent the bread going soggy if you have to keep the Cicchetti for more than 15 – 20 minutes. 
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Filed Under: Light Bites, Popular Posts, Summer, Travel Tagged With: appetisers, Open Sandwich, smoked mackerel

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kavita Favelle says

    July 30, 2018 at 10:55 am

    As you know, we visited Venice for a third time just a few weeks before your visit. This time we tried a lot more cicchetti than our previous two visits, and loved this style of eating. Especially with an Apero sprits! Love your three dishes.

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      July 30, 2018 at 5:55 pm

      Thanks Kavey. I’d like to do self catering in Venice as you did, I think it would help get closer to the authentic Venetian experience. We struggled with eating too much, yes really 😂

      Reply
  2. Christina | Christina's Cucina says

    July 30, 2018 at 7:13 pm

    How fabulous, Janice! I love your cicchetti, they look wonderful! I loved seeing you and Brian in Venice and was so happy when you said you could join us! I think it was zero seconds for you to answer! haha! 🙂 Thanks for joining us!

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      July 30, 2018 at 8:00 pm

      Thanks, Christina.

      Reply
  3. Claire Jessiman says

    July 30, 2018 at 9:12 pm

    You are making me want to head back to Venice, and Burano in particular. I absolutely love it ther – like Balamory in the sunshine! We never tried Cicchetti but I love the idea of them and your recreation – whether truly authentic or not.

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      July 30, 2018 at 10:11 pm

      Thank you. Burano was a real highlight, such a pretty little island and so full of character.

      Reply
  4. Jacqueline Meldrum says

    July 31, 2018 at 10:40 pm

    What amazing photos Janice. You must have had a fabulous holiday. Loving the veggie options. Shared!

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      August 1, 2018 at 8:59 am

      Thank you, it was a great holiday.

      Reply
  5. [email protected] says

    August 1, 2018 at 8:03 am

    Love Venice. Love cicchetti. Love your take on these classic Venetian snacks!

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      August 1, 2018 at 9:00 am

      Thanks Kellie, I know you were there recently too, so appreciate your comments.

      Reply
  6. Rachel Gillon says

    August 4, 2018 at 9:12 am

    Fantastic idea Janice and something different. My son is just back from Venice and I’m sure will love these recipes too.

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      August 4, 2018 at 8:37 pm

      Thanks Rachel, what a fabulous honeymoon destination. I hope they enjoyed Venice as much as we did.

      Reply
  7. Punam Paul says

    October 28, 2018 at 2:51 pm

    I have never tried Cicchetti but I liked your recipe.

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      October 28, 2018 at 3:18 pm

      Thanks Paul

      Reply
  8. Beth Sachs says

    October 16, 2020 at 2:53 pm

    These look like my kind of appetiser, particularly the cream cheese and pickled radish one! #CookBlogShare

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      October 16, 2020 at 3:31 pm

      Thanks, Beth. It’s a simple idea but lots of gutsy flavours.

      Reply
  9. Michelle Rolfe says

    October 21, 2020 at 11:11 pm

    Oh how I miss travelling just now! Venice is a city I absolutely adore. Been many times abs each time I love getting lost in the small streets. My kids love the gondola rides too. I’ll need to make these and open a large bottle of chianti!😀 Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle x

    Reply
    • Janice Pattie says

      October 22, 2020 at 12:29 pm

      I’ll join you with an Aperol Spritz! Venice is certainly a magical place and well worth visiting.

      Reply

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Janice Pattie 2019

Hello, I’m Janice, I live on a farm and I love to cook and bake. My aim is to be your friend in the kitchen, providing simple and delicious recipes, friendly advice, inspiration and honest reviews. Read more on my About page.

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