Fritto Misto Recipe

Prepare seafood and vegetables

Pat the calamari, shrimp, and fish pieces very dry with paper towels. Place the seafood in a single layer on a tray in the refrigerator while you prepare the batter so excess moisture is removed. Cut vegetables to uniform size and pat dry; toss lightly with a pinch of salt.

Set up frying station

Place a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain fried pieces. Have separate plates or shallow bowls ready for battered seafood, vegetables, and plain-dusted items.

Make the light batter

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Add the cold sparkling water (or cold beer) a little at a time and mix until just combined; the batter should be thin and slightly lumpy. Add ice cubes to the batter bowl or keep the bowl over an ice bath to keep it very cold (this creates a crisp texture).

Dust items

Spread the fine cornmeal on a plate. Lightly dust the dried calamari, shrimp, fish pieces, and vegetables with the cornmeal to give the batter something to cling to. Do not overcoat; a light dusting is sufficient.

Heat the oil

In a deep pot or heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil to 350–375°F (175–190°C). Use a thermometer to maintain a steady temperature. If the oil is too cool, the food will absorb oil; too hot and the exterior will burn before the interior cooks.

Fry in small batches

Working in small batches to avoid crowding, dip a few pieces of seafood or vegetables into the cold batter to coat, letting excess batter drip off. Carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry until golden and crisp: shrimp and calamari rings usually take 1–2 minutes, thin fish pieces 2–3 minutes, and vegetables 2–3 minutes depending on thickness. Turn as needed for even color. Do not overcrowd the oil.

Drain and keep warm

Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove fried items and transfer to the wire rack to drain and stay crisp. Sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt immediately. Maintain oil temperature between batches; let the oil come back up to temperature before adding the next batch.

Make aioli

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated garlic, Sriracha, smoked paprika, olive oil, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust acidity or heat as desired (add more lemon for brightness or more hot sauce for heat). Chill until ready to serve.

Arrange the fried seafood and vegetables on a large platter or individual plates while still hot and crisp. Sprinkle chopped parsley and a final pinch of flaky salt over the top. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and the spicy aioli on the side for dipping.

Leftover frying tip: keep finished pieces warm in a single layer on a low oven (200°F / 95°C) on a wire rack if making multiple batches, but serve as soon as possible for best texture.