Italian fritto misto

This Italian classic brings you plates full of fried snacks. A good squeeze of lemon over the top with a cold beer on the side and you won’t hear from us again.

Fritto misto is Italian for mixed fried food and can actually consist of all kinds of things. As long as it’s a large plate with various fried snacks on it.

Bittersweet cocktail: the negroni

Di mare
Fritto misto di mare is probably the version you think of when you think of this dish. It consists of various types of seafood, which is why you mainly eat it on the Italian coast.

Good fritto misto is coated in an ultra-thin layer of flour, pepper and salt

You may think that breaded fried fish is a piece of cake, but a good version is difficult to find in the Netherlands. So eat as much of it as possible when you’re in Italy, or learn to make it properly yourself. The most important thing is that the coating is so thin you can barely see it.

Forget calamari in a thick layer of batter. Good fritto misto is coated in an ultra-thin layer of flour, pepper and salt, as in this recipe. This way, you fry the flour crispy, as well as the outside of the seafood. Serve only with lemon wedges.

All’emiliana
The province of Emiliana, where Rome is located, lies further inland. The sea is nowhere in sight, but courgettes grow in abundance. Here, a portion of fritto misto consists of fried courgette blossoms, olives and sometimes a potato croquette. Unlike the version mentioned above, everything on the platter gets a somewhat thicker coating.

Dip olives and potato croquettes first in flour, then in beaten egg and finally in breadcrumbs for the crispiest coating. Courgette blossoms are filled with mozzarella and anchovies or with ricotta and then dipped in batter, as in this recipe.