Fritto Misto With Two Mustard Sauce Recipes

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.

"FRITTO MISTO" MIXED FRIED SEAFOOD WITH TARTAR SAUCE

Steps:

• For the tartar sauce: Whisk together the mayonnaise, dill pickle and brine, Worcestershire, mustard, capers and brine, hot sauce, garlic, tarragon, basil stems and lime zest and juice in a medium bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set aside some in a ramekin.
• For the batter: Whisk together the flour, beer, sparkling water, vodka, paprika and baking soda in a medium bowl.
• For the frying: Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a thermometer until it reaches 350 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with a cooling rack and set aside.
• Place each whole squid on a flat surface and run your knife gently down the length of the outside. Peel off the outer layer of skin and remove the piece of cartilage and anything inside the tube of the squid. Cut the tentacles from the body (below the eyes) and remove the sharp beak (which feels like a small gumball) in the center of each set of tentacles. Cut into 1/8-inch rounds. Dry the rings and tentacles on a sheet tray lined with paper towels.
• Fry the basil leaves until crispy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the oil, letting the excess drain off, and place on the cooling rack. Season with salt immediately. Fry the lemon slices until crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain the excess oil, then place on paper towels and season immediately. Transfer the lemons and basil to a bowl. Replace the paper towels for the next batch.
• Place a hand strainer in the batter (to easily find pieces) and sprinkle the squid with salt. Starting with the tentacles, fully coat in the batter, then drop into the hot oil. Fry until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and salt. Repeat with the rings. Bring the oil back to 350 degrees F and dip the shrimp in the batter. Drop in small batches into the hot oil. Fry, turning on both sides with a slotted metal spoon until crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and salt.
• Transfer the tartar sauce ramekin to a medium serving bowl and arrange the fried lemons, basil leaves, squid and shrimp around it. Serve immediately.

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:

• Put at least 3 inches of oil in a large, deep saucepan; a larger pan with more oil will allow you to cook more at once. Turn the heat to high and keep it there until the temperature reaches 350°F (a pinch of flour will sizzle). Then adjust the heat as necessary to maintain this temperature. While the oil is heating, prepare the vegetables.
• Make the batter: Combine 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl; mix lightly with a fork. Mix together the egg and wine, then stir the mixture into the batter until smooth; the mixture should be just about the consistency of pancake batter.
• Dredge each piece of food lightly in the remaining flour, then dip into the batter and add to the oil. Do not crowd the food; you will have to cook in batches. Cooking time will be just as long as it takes for the pieces to become an appealing shade of gold, just 5 minutes or so.
• Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with coarse salt, and serve immediately, with lemon wedges or aïoli.