Seafood Fritto Misto

Seafood and fish with a golden, brittle crust. The flesh remains pearly and juicy, enhanced by a touch of acidity and the briny scent of hot frying.

• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 15 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 751
• Protein: 50 g
• Carbs: 59 g
• Fat: 33 g

Ingredients

• 400 g Loligo vulgaris ( cleaned and cut into rings )
• 300 g Wild shrimp ( whole )
• 200 g Smelt ( whole and gutted )
• 2 piece Zucchini ( in sticks )
• 150 g Wheat flour ( sifted )
• 150 g Durum wheat semolina ( fine )
• 750 ml Sunflower oil ( for frying )
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt ( for seasoning )
• 2 piece Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. ( in wedges )

Instructions

1. Preparing the seafood

   Clean the squid and cut the bodies into 1 cm thick rings. Keep the smelts whole. Pat every piece perfectly dry with paper towels; moisture is the enemy of crispiness.

2. Slicing the vegetables

   Cut the zucchinis into regular sticks, like thin fries. They must be the same size for uniform cooking in the oil.

3. Breadback mix

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the wheat flour and durum wheat semolina. This mixture provides a grainier texture that holds up better to heat than flour alone.

4. Dry coating

   Dredge the fish, squid, shrimp, and vegetables in the flour mix. Shake them in a fine sieve to remove the excess: you want a light veil, not a heavy shell.

5. Hot frying

   Heat the oil to 180°C. Submerge the ingredients in small batches to keep the temperature steady. The frying should sizzle loudly. When the crust is rigid and golden, remove and drain on paper.

6. Final seasoning

   Salt immediately with grey sea salt while it's piping hot. Serve without delay with lemon wedges to cut through the richness of the fry.

Chef's tips

• Never salt before frying, salt draws out water and softens the breading.
• Work in small batches: if you overload the oil, it cools down and the food soaks up grease instead of searing.

Storage

Must be eaten immediately. Fried food loses its crunch as it cools and does not reheat well.