Fritto Misto and Lemon Aioli Recipe
Fritto Misto and Lemon Aioli
Fritto
A plate of fritto misto and a cold glass of Sylvaner transport me straight to the seaside. You can use this recipe all year, substituting whatever vegetables are in season. You can omit fish all together and do a full vegetable fritto, or vice versa to make fried calamari.
1/2 pound squid, cleaned, bodies cut into rounds
10 whole fresh anchovies, sardines, or bait fish
1 bunch of asparagus, ends snapped off and cut into halves or thirds
5 small artichokes cut into wedges
2 lemons: 1 sliced thinly into round to fry, 1 to squeeze over finished fritto
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 tablespoon salt
3 egg whites
1 cup cold sparkling water
High heat oil for frying, such as bran, vegetable, or canola
Fill a pot about 1/3 of the way up with oil and heat to 375 degrees. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sparkling water. Combine the flours and salt in another medium bowl. Fry the vegetables first, because they will hold their crunch longer. Working in small batches, add them to the wet bowl, and gently toss to coat. Transfer to the flour and toss until they are well covered. Shake off the excess flour before placing them gently into the oil. Fry for about a minute until they have turned slightly golden and crispy. Remove from oil, allowing access oil to drip off before placing on a paper towel lined sheet tray. Season with salt. Continue this process until all the ingredients are fried. Use the second lemon to squeeze fresh juice on top.
Lemon Aioli
This is a classic, simple recipe that is delicious on a sandwich, used as a dip for vegetables or as the base of a salad.
1 garlic clove, pounded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1 cup mild olive oil or ½ cup olive oil and ½ cup neutral oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Put the egg yolk, garlic and salt in a bowl. Use a whisk to vigorously mix the yolk while slowly, slowly pouring in the oil, to create an emulsion. Be patient! If the emulsification feels like it’s getting too thick, thin out with some lemon juice. Once all the oil is incorporated, adjust seasoning with salt, lemon or garlic.