Fritto misto from the Adriatic
- Starter
- Medium
- 4
- 40 minutes
PT40M
Grazia Soncini shares her take on the classic Italian seafood dish, fritto misto, which is inspired by the fresh fish of the Adriatic (such as the small scaldfish, sand smelt and molecha crabs). If unavailable, other types of flatfish (the larger Dover or Megrim sole) could be used as a substitute – just fry for slightly longer to account for their size. Sliced vegetables such as aubergines, courgettes, or even pieces of seaweed, can be fried in the same manner to make a more substantial dish.
Ingredients
Fritto misto
- 200g of squid
- 4 soft-shell crabs
- 12 king prawns
- 160g of flatfish
- 80g of sand smelt
- flour, for dusting
- peanut oil, for frying
To serve
- salt
- 1 lemon , sliced
Equipment
- Deep-fryer
Method
1
Begin by preparing the squid. Wash thoroughly in cold water then pull the tentacles away from the main body. Remove and discard the eyes and head, internal organs, ink sack, fins, quill and any tough outer skin. Slice the remaining clean flesh into rounds and place in a large bowl of iced water
- 200g of squid
2
Add all the other whole fish and shellfish to the bowl and leave for 10 minutes
- 4 soft-shell crabs
- 12 king prawns
- 160g of flatfish
- 80g of sand smelt
3
Drain the fish and shellfish in a colander then dust liberally with flour. Shake the colander to coat all the fish in the flour and to remove any excess
- flour, for dusting
4
Preheat a deep-fryer with the peanut oil to 180°C, or fill a large pan with the oil and bring up to 180°C
- peanut oil, for frying
5
Fry the floured fish and shellfish in batches for a few minutes each or until golden brown – try to fry the same species together as they should cook in the same time. Remove and drain any excess oil on kitchen paper
6
To serve, season with salt and serve immediately with slices of lemon
- salt
- 1 lemon , sliced
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Fritto misto from the Adriatic
