La cucina vicentina

Rice is one of the staple ingredients of the Vicentina cuisine: besides "risi e bisi" other risotti are made with pumpkin, asparagus, hops, tripe, sausage, liver, and quail, just to name a few ingredients. Another flavorful first course is "bigoli co' l'arna" but the most representative dish is "baccalà alla Vicentina" accompanied by fresh or toasted polenta, that turns out well only when made in certain quantities. The purchase of focaccia vicentina and excellent amaretto cookies is highly recommended in the local pastry shops.

BIGOLI CON L'ANATRA

Ingredients:
• 400 grams flour
• 1 liter milk (ca.)
• 2 eggs
• 40 grams softened butter
• 1 duck
• For broth: 1 onion, 1 carrot, 2 stalks of celery, 1 bay leaf
• For sauce: duck innards, 1 medium onion, about ¼ to ½ cup dry white wine, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper

Preparation of the Bigoli: : prepare dough according to basic directions, press and fold using the appropriate tool, the "bigolaro" press, to make large diameter noodles. Extend noodles, lay flat on floured cloth, and let rest and dry for 24 hours.
Preparation: Clean, empty, and singe duck setting aside the innards in a bowl of water. Place bird in cold water and bring to a boil; skim foam, add vegetables and spices and salt, and cook for about 1½ hours. At the end of cooking time, remove duck and filter broth. Sauté finely chopped onion in melted butter and oil, add chopped innards (minus liver) and allow to absorb flavors; add wine and cook over low flame for about ½ hour, adding duck broth whenever the sauce becomes too dense. Cook bigoli in duck broth and drain, keeping hot. Lastly, add liver to sauce and bring again to boil, salt and pepper to taste, and serve over bigoli alternating sauce with generous portions of Parmesan cheese. The duck, divided in pieces and kept hot, can be served for the main course, accompanied by tufts of radicchio rosso grilled to take away bitter taste.

BACCALA' A LA VICENTINA (Vicenza-Style Salt Cod) Ingredients: serves 4 ½ kilo stoccafisso (stockfish) ("ragno" or spider) 250 grams sliced white or yellow onions 12 tablespoons olive oil milk 2 chopped anchovies: desalted and bones removed 1 garlic clove and a handful of parsley, chopped white flour grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper

Preparation: Pound the stoccafissa very well to break up fibers and let stand in cold water for at least two days, changing the water a couple of times. Drain, remove scales and open belly; remove bones and fins. In pan, sauté onion slices until limp, then cook over low flame adding chopped anchovies, parsley and garlic and allowing flavors to blend. Spread part of mixture over open stoccafissa, sprinkle with grated cheese, salt, and pepper. Close fish and cut into 4-inch (10-centimeter) pieces and flour. Grease casserole (preferably earthenware), place pieces of baccalà side by side, cover with remaining above mixture, and pour in enough oil and milk to cover everything. Salt and pepper to taste. Slow cook at very low temperature until milk is very concentrated, occasionally jarring casserole without actually stirring. Serve with fresh-made or toasted slices of polenta.