History

Luccio in salsa is the lake-cuisine variant of Veronese cooking, a recipe that travels from Lake Garda 30 km west of the city. The pike (luccio) is poached gently in court-bouillon, dressed with a Mediterranean-style olive-oil sauce of anchovies and capers, and served on grilled polenta. Osteria Caffe Monte Baldo on Via Rosa is the reference room.

Common allergens: Fish, Anchovy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 40 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 600g pike fillets (skin off; substitute white-fleshed lake or river fish if pike unavailable)
  • For the court bouillon: 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 200ml white wine
  • 2 litres water
  • For the sauce: 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, 8 salt-cured anchovy fillets (chopped), 3 tablespoons capers (rinsed), 1 garlic clove (minced), 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley (chopped), juice of half a lemon
  • For the polenta: 250g yellow polenta, 1 litre water, salt, 30g butter
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Make the polenta: bring 1 litre salted water to the boil; whisk in the polenta in a steady stream and cook on low heat, stirring, for 35 to 40 minutes until smooth and pulling from the pan sides.
  2. Pour the cooked polenta onto a wet board to a 2cm thickness and cool 30 minutes; cut into 8 squares.
  3. Make the court bouillon: combine all bouillon ingredients in a wide pot and simmer 15 minutes.
  4. Add the pike fillets and poach 8 to 10 minutes at a bare simmer until just opaque. Carefully remove and pat dry.
  5. Make the sauce: warm the olive oil gently in a small pan, add the garlic and anchovies, stir until anchovies dissolve (2 minutes). Off heat add capers, parsley and lemon juice.
  6. Grill the polenta squares 2 minutes per side until char marks appear.
  7. Plate two polenta squares per person, top with a pike portion, and spoon the sauce over generously.

Tip from the editors. Substitute zander or any firm white lake or river fish if pike is unavailable; the sauce-and-polenta technique is the canonical Veronese frame.

Where to eat luccio in salsa (luccio e polenta)

Luccio in salsa (luccio e polenta) in Verona

Osteria Caffe Monte Baldo ★ 4.4

Italian€€Mon-Thu 10:00-23:00, Fri 10:00-24:00, Sat 11:00-24:00, Sun 10:00-23:00Until Daily to 24:00

Osteria Caffe Monte Baldo in Verona runs the standing-counter operation to midnight daily.

Try: Cicchetti and an ombra

Tip: Three cicchetti and an ombra at the counter for €8; the late dishes rotate based on what is left.

Via Rosa 12, 37121 Verona

Osteria Ponte Pietra ★ 4.3

Italian€€€Citta AnticaTue-Sat 12:30-22:00, closed Sun-Mon

Osteria Ponte Pietra in Verona overlooks the medieval Roman bridge with a seasonal Veronese kitchen. A 2026 TableJourney editor pick with hours and dishes.

Signature: Bigoli con l'arna, Lake fish carpaccio, Tiramisu

Tip: Book a river-side window seat two weeks ahead; the bigoli is the move and the lake fish carpaccio is the summer alternate.

Via Ponte Pietra 34, 37121 Verona Book →

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