Frito Misto Recipe

Dry and season

Pat smelts, calamari, and shrimp very dry with paper towels. Lightly season with 1/2 tsp fine salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper distributed across all seafood.

Keep seafood chilled until ready to batter. Arrange pepperoncini on a cutting board; halve or leave whole depending on size and set aside.

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, chopped dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and refrigerate to allow flavors to meld while you fry (about 15–20 minutes).

In a bowl whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, baking powder, 1 tsp fine salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Add cold sparkling water gradually while whisking until a smooth, slightly thick batter forms. Keep batter cold by setting the bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice or add the ice cubes to a second bowl and rest the batter bowl atop it. Batter should be cold and bubbly.

In a separate shallow dish stir together the seasoned flour (3 tbs flour, 1 tbs cornmeal, paprika, garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper). This will be used to lightly dredge the seafood before battering to help adhesion and add texture.

Pour oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer to a depth of about 3–4 inches (enough for free-frying seafood). Heat oil to 180°C (350°F). Use a thermometer to maintain steady temperature.

Work in small batches (do not overcrowd). Lightly dredge a portion of seafood (mix of smelts, calamari rings and shrimp) and pepperoncini in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess.

Dip dredged pieces into the cold batter, allowing excess to drip off for 3–5 seconds so batter forms a thin coating. Gently slide into hot oil.

Fry for 1.5–3 minutes per batch depending on piece size: shrimp should turn opaque and just firm (about 1.5–2 min), calamari rings should be just set and slightly crisp (about 1.5–2 min), smelts will be golden and crisp (about 2–3 min). Pepperoncini will blister quickly (about 1–1.5 min). Keep oil at 170–180°C (340–350°F) and turn pieces if necessary for even color.

Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer fried seafood to a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Immediately sprinkle with a little sea salt. Repeat until all seafood and pepperoncini are fried.

Once all batches are fried, hold fritto misto in a warm oven set to 90–100°C (195–210°F) if needed to keep crisp while finishing. Heat a skillet or grill pan over high heat and place the lemon half cut-side down to char until blackened in spots and aromatic, about 1–2 minutes. Alternatively, use a blowtorch to caramelize the exposed lemon flesh.

Squeeze the charred lemon lightly over the fish just before serving to add smoky brightness. Toss the fried seafood gently with chopped parsley and add pepperoncini to the platter.

Serve immediately with lemon-dill aioli on the side for dipping.