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By
Emiko Davies
Abstract
This is quite a soft pudding, not too dense, perfumed with citrus and fennel, full of dried figs and sultanas, and it is to be washed down with a glass of sweet wine, such as Marsala.
This is an ancient recipe – possibly the most ancient of the Venetian dessert repertoire – that has a special role for the Epiphany, on 6th January, and the start of Venice’s Carnival season. As old traditions went, young singles on this day had to eat a slice of pinza in seven different houses to guarantee getting married within the year.
As it is a homely dish, and one that makes good use of leftovers or whatever you have on hand, you can find pinza made with all kinds of grains as the base – polenta is very common, but also buckwheat, regular fl our or stale bread. I have a soft spot for bread puddings, and this is my favourite version, closely followed by the polenta one. Like the Pan del doge di Zaira [another recipe in Cinnamon & Salt), you’ll find it studded with dried fruit (usually figs and sultanas), which sometimes may have been the only sweet contribution in this pudding, and nuts of all kinds, some sort of liquid, be it milk with a splash of white wine, grappa or Alkermes, but also an array of spices such as wild fennel seeds, cinnamon or nutmeg. Read More
