Non-VegetarianFriulana cuisine Main Course

Salame all'Aceto

Name: Salame all'Aceto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Friulana
Ingredients: 300 g coarse yellow polenta meal; 1200 ml Water; 5 g Fine sea salt; 500 g salame fresco; 120 g white onion; 15 g Lard; 60 ml red or white wine vinegar; 1 g freshly ground black pepper

Salame all'Aceto, known in Friulian as salam cul asêt, is fresh, soft salami pan-fried with onions and finished with a sharp splash of wine vinegar, served over steaming polenta.

🇮🇹Italy· Friuli Venezia Giulia

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 580 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

300 g coarse yellow polenta meal — farina di mais bramata
1200 ml Water — for cooking polenta
5 g Fine sea salt — about 1 teaspoon
500 g salame fresco — fresh soft Friulian salami, casing removed
120 g white onion — 1 medium onion, finely sliced
15 g Lard — strutto, or extra virgin olive oil
60 ml red or white wine vinegar — traditional robust wine vinegar
1 g freshly ground black pepper — to taste

Equipment

•Heavy-bottomed pot
•Whisk
•Wooden spoon
•Large frying pan
•Chef's knife

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 580 kcal
fat: 30 g
carbs: 54 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 24 g
calories: 580 kcal

Instructions

1
Bring water with salt to a gentle boil in a heavy-bottomed pot.
2
Pour the polenta meal in a slow, steady stream while whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
3
Switch to a wooden spoon and simmer on low heat for forty minutes, stirring frequently until thick.
4
Cut the fresh salami into slices roughly one centimetre thick.
5
Melt the lard in a wide frying pan over medium heat.
6
Add the sliced onion and fry gently for five minutes until soft and translucent.
7
Place the salami slices into the pan in a single layer.
8
Fry the salami for three minutes on each side until lightly browned and sizzling.
9
Pour the wine vinegar over the hot salami and let it bubble fiercely.
10
Scrape up any caramelised bits from the base and simmer for two minutes until the sauce turns glossy.
11
Ladle hot, soft polenta onto warm plates.
12
Top immediately with the warm salami slices and spoon over the acidic pan juices.

Chef's tips

Always seek out soft, unaged salame fresco rather than cured dry salami, which turns overly salty and tough when fried. Use a good quality wine vinegar with enough acidity to emulsify with the melted pork fat into a glossy sauce.

Ingredient substitutions

Salame fresco → fresh coarse Italian pork sausages, sliced into thick discs
Lard (strutto) → extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter

Storage

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat the salami gently in a skillet with a splash of water and pan-fry leftover polenta slices until crisp.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using dry, cured charcuterie salami instead of soft fresh sausage meat, resulting in hard and salty rounds.
•Boiling off the vinegar entirely, which leaves the dish dry without its signature tangy sauce.
•Pouring polenta flour in all at once, creating impossible lumps.

Serving suggestions

Serve hot straight from the pan over a generous bed of soft yellow polenta.Pair with a glass of dry, rustic Friulian red wine such as Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso or Tazzelenghe.Accompany with boiled winter greens or bitter radicchio to balance the richness.