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Fritto misto

By: Tom Shingler
Head of food, delicious.

Published: 9 May 23
Updated: 18 Mar 24

One of the nicest things you can eat by the coast in Italy, fritto misto is incredibly simple – but of course, the quality of the ingredients is paramount (so buy fresh rather than frozen if possible). The mixture of fish and seafood – traditionally whatever the fishing boats came back with that day – is simply tossed in seasoned flour, deep-fried until crisp, then doused with lemon juice.

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Easy
May 2023

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4 (or 6 as a starter)
Hands-on time 20 min

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Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 414kcals
Fat: 11g (1.4g saturated)
Protein: 48g
Carbohydrates: 30g (0.8g sugars)
Fibre: 1.7g
Salt: 3.4g

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Ingredients

Vegetable oil to deep-fry
400g squid tubes
300g white fish fillets (such as hake, pollock, cod or haddock)
300g raw peeled king prawns
100g plain flour
50g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Specialist kit

Digital thermometer

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Method

Bring a large pan of oil (no more than two thirds full) up to 180°C. While you wait, cut the squid tubes into 1cm rings and the fish fillets into bite-size pieces. Mix the flours, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
Pat the seafood and fish dry with kitchen paper. Add a handful of the squid rings to the flour, toss to coat well, then transfer to a sieve. Give the sieve a shake to remove excess flour, then carefully lower the squid into the hot oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes until pale golden, then transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Repeat with the remaining squid, ensuring the oil comes back up to temperature with each batch.
Once the squid is cooked, move onto the prawns, then the fish (the squid will say crispy the longest, which is why it’s good to get it fried first). Once everything is cooked, transfer to a large serving platter, sprinkle with a little more salt, then serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Recipe from May 2023 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 414kcals
Fat: 11g (1.4g saturated)
Protein: 48g
Carbohydrates: 30g (0.8g sugars)
Fibre: 1.7g
Salt: 3.4g

delicious. tips

You can throw any fish or seafood you like into a fritto misto – as well as vegetables. Sliced aubergine, fennel and artichoke are all great additions and if you can find them, whole gutted anchovies are a common part of a fritto misto in Italy.
This is a very versatile recipe by design – so don’t worry too much about the quantities or variety of fish and seafood you use too much. The key is slicing anything large into bite-size pieces that’ll cook in a couple of minutes, otherwise you risk the flour burning before what it’s coating is cooked through.