Ease of Preparation: Medium
Time of Preparation: 20 minutes, plus 1.5 hours simmering time
Yield: 4-6 servings
Fritto Misto means “mixed fry” and do we have a mix for you! Baby bok choy, licorice-y fennel, earthy celeriac, and sweet acorn squash are just some of the veggies featured here! Dip into the flavourful sofrito dipping sauce for a bite of heaven!
Ingredients:
Sofrito:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- ½ red onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded, and minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and minced
- ½ cup (120 ml) red wine
- 2 pounds of ripe tomatoes, grated on a box grater
- 1 sprig rosemary, leaves only, chopped
- Salt and pepper
Fritto Misto:
- 4 baby bok choy, halved
- 1 bulb fennel, stems removed, halved, sliced ¼-inch (6 mm) thick
- 1 celery root, peeled, halved, sliced ¼-inch (6 mm) thick
- 1 acorn squash, halved and emptied, sliced ¼-inch (6 mm) thick
- 20-30 green beans, tips removed
- 1 cup (240 ml) milled arborio rice flour
- ¼ cup (60 ml) cornstarch
- 1 cup (240 ml) fine corn flour
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) milk
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- Flat leaf parsley, lemon wedges, Sofrito Dipping Sauce, to serve
Method:
For the Sofrito Dipping Sauce:
Heat the oil in a non-reactive pan over medium heat and gently cook the onions and garlic, not allowing any browning, until translucent and soft, 8 -10 minutes.
Add the green and red bell pepper and cook until they soften and fall apart.
Add the wine and cook 2-3 minutes to allow to the alcohol to evaporate.
Stir in the tomatoes and rosemary, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer gently, over very low heat, for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Allow to cool then store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the Fritto Misto:
In a wide shallow bowl, sift together the rice flour, corn starch, corn flour, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Pour the milk into a shallow wide bowl.
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot to 375 F (190 C).
Working quickly in batches, batter and fry the veggies (baby bok choy, fennel, acorn squash, celery root, green beans):
- Dip pieces into the milk, then lift and drain slightly
- Transfer to the dry mix, tossing to coat, dust off excess
- Transfer pieces to oil, a few at a time, taking care not to overcrowd the oil
- Fry until crisp and golden brown
- Transfer to paper towel-line plate and drain well
- Season with salt while hot
- Allow the oil to return to heat (skimming as needed) and repeat until all the veggies have been fried
Toss the mixed fried veggies with the parsley leaves and serve with the lemon wedges and Sofrito Dipping Sauce alongside.
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