Emerils Seafood Fritto Misto

EMERIL'S SEAFOOD FRITTO MISTO

Steps:

• The zucchini should be cut into 1-inch by 4-inch individual strips.
• Whisk flour and olive oil together then add enough water to make a thinnish batter. You don't want it too thin. Season the batter with salt and pepper and let set 30 minutes before folding in whites.
• Season all the seafood and vegetables with salt and pepper. Then dip seafood in batter and let excess drip off. USE lots of paper towels.
• Now preheat the oil and fry fish in batches starting with calamari and finish with sea bass. After each batch let oil return to frying temp before doing next batch.
• Now dip the veggies and again let excess drip off and then fry until golden brown. About 3 to 4 minutes. Watch your temperature and the vegetables.
• Drain all fried items on paper plates. Taste and season as needed.
• Emeril suggests using two fry pans to speed up the process. Do not try that unless you have done lots of frying. It's too easy to get hurt with hot grease. If there are two of you doing this, give it a shot.
• Spoon the Marinara sauce over the bottom of a large platter then pile the fried seafood and vegetables on top of the sauce. Garnish with drizzles of aioli, cheese and parsley.
• Dig in and be a Roman -- .

FRITTO MISTO

Steps:

• For the sauce: Combine the basil, pistachios, olive oil, lemon zest and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until roughly pureed. Remove the contents to a small bowl and stir in the mayonnaise and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season with the salt.
• For the seafood: Fill a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven with 3 inches of oil and heat to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch, polenta, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Working in batches, dredge the shrimp and calamari in the flour mixture and add to the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan and drop the temperature. Fry until light golden brown and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a spider to remove the seafood to a paper towel-lined tray and season with a pinch of salt. Continue with the remaining shrimp and calamari. Serve hot alongside the pesto dipping sauce and lots of lemon wedges.