Fritto Misto Food

SIMPLE FRITTO MISTO

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F.
• Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk in the water to make a thin batter. Dip the green beans, zucchini and lemons in the batter and carefully place them in the saucepan. Fry the vegetables until lightly browned, 1 to 3 minutes. Drain the vegetables on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with salt. Serve the vegetables warm.

FRITTO MISTO

Steps:

• Prepare the batter. In a mixing bowl, sift the flour and salt. Make a well in the center. Pour the olive oil and gradually beat in the water to make a smooth, thick batter. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Before using, beat the egg whites until firm. Lightly fold the beaten egg whites into the batter.
• Preheat the oil to 375 degrees F.
• Thoroughly wash all the seafood in water. Drain. Dip the assorted seafood and vegetables in the prepared batter and shake off any excess batter. Cook in hot oil and fry until crisp and golden. Lift out and drain on paper towels.
• Fry the basil, sage and parsley, then drain. Sprinkle fried seafood with salt and divide onto 4 serving plates. Garnish with the fried herbs and lemon wedges. Serve immediately with Sauce Tartare.
• Combine the hard-boiled egg, capers, cornichon, anchovies, chives and parsley with the mayonnaise.
• Fold in the whipped cream. Chill and use as needed.
• Yield: 2 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, "Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen" Houghton Mifflin, 1981.

FRITTO MISTO

Steps:

• Skewer 1 bocconcini and 1 salami on each of 4 skewers. Skewer 1 chicken liver and 1 onion on each of the remaining 4 skewers.
• Make a dredge of 1 cup rice flour, oregano, parsley and some salt and pepper.
• Make a batter by combining the remaining 1 cup rice flour with the all-purpose flour, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Pour in the club soda a little bit at a time and whisk until the batter is just slightly loosened and the whisk won't stand up. Keep on an ice bath.
• Fill a Dutch oven just under halfway with oil and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F. Working in batches, dip each skewer, and then the peppers and zucchini, in the batter and fry until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, season with salt and a spray of lemon juice. Pile onto plates and devour.

FRITTO MISTO RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, heat about 2-inches of oil to 350 F.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the club soda slowly, careful not to overmix. The mixture will be slightly lumpy.
• Dip a quarter of the vegetables, seafood, lemon, and herbs into the batter, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Fry, turning to cook evenly and separating as needed in the oil, until lightly golden, about 2 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined wire rack and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve hot.

FRITTO MISTO

Steps:

• FOR THE BATTER: Combine the flour, cornstarch, black pepper, and cayenne in a medium bowl. In a measuring cup, mix together the water and olive oil. While whisking the flour mixture, pour in the water and oil mixture in a steady stream until the mixture is just combined. It should resemble heavy cream in texture. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 1 hour. Just before frying, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. With a large rubber spatula, fold the beaten egg whites completely into the batter.
• Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees. (Use an instant-read ­thermometer that registers high temperatures or clip a candy/deep-fry thermometer onto the side of the pot before turning on the heat.) To coat the vegetables, submerge them in the ­batter and, using tongs, remove them from the batter, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Making sure not to overcrowd the pan, fry the vegetables in batches until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch, depending on the vegetable. Adjust the temperature as necessary to maintain an oil temperature of 375 degrees. Remove the vegetables with a second pair of tongs, allowing the excess oil to run off the vegetables and back into the pot, then drain the vegetables on an oven-safe plate layered with paper towels. Use a mesh skimmer to remove any burned bits of batter from the oil and repeat with another batch of vegetables. Lightly salt and pepper the vegetables while still hot. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
• Fritto misto is best eaten immediately (have everyone in the kitchen to eat the vegetables as soon as they come out of the oil), but the fried vegetables can be held for up to 1/2 hour in a 200-degree oven on a paper towel-lined baking sheet or ovensafe plate.