A Taste of the Sea

I had the pleasure spending Saturday with my friend Miss Maddy in NYC, had an amazing time.  Of course being the food lovers we are we decided to head over to Eataly ( 200 5th Ave, New York, NY http://www.eataly.com/ ).  

After walking around a bit we settled on seafood, excellent choice.  As for the choice, it was simple for me one of my all time favorites, Fritto Misto. Very simply ‘Fritto’ means fried, and ‘misto’ means ‘mixed’. ‘Fritto Misto’ is therefore a ‘mixed fry’- an assortment of different foods fried and served together. 

Most of us love deep fried seafood. When I was a child I could never get enough, who am I kidding even now i am the the same way, mixed deep fried seafood, the selection included fish, scallops and calamari rings. For a really good fritto misto it is important that all the ingredients are fresh. You can vary the seafood to your own taste.

                                       

1. Fritto Misto 
2. Vegetable oil, for frying
3. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4. 1/2 cup cornstarch
5. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
7. 2 cups club soda
8. 12 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
9. 3/4 pound skinless cod fillet, cut into 12 chunks
10. 1/2 pound squid, tentacles halved and bodies sliced into 1/2-inch rings
11. 1 small fennel bulb, sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick
12. 1 lemon, very thinly sliced, plus lemon wedges for serving
13. 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

• In a large pot, heat 3 inches of vegetable oil to 350°. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup of the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper. Whisk in the club soda to make a thin batter. Let the batter stand for 5 minutes.
• Place the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour in a bowl. Season the shrimp, cod, squid, fennel and lemon slices with salt and black pepper. Dust with the flour. Dip them in the batter in batches, scraping some of the excess against the side of the bowl, and fry them in batches in the hot oil until lightly golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain the fritto misto on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Transfer to a large plate, sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

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