Fritto Misto

By lromito

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil (for frying; about 8 cups)
• all-purpose flour
• cornstarch
• baking powder
• kosher salt, plus more
• chilled club soda
• small squash (such as kabocha), scrubbed, very thinly sliced
• small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced lengthwise
• leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, layers separated
• maitake or shiitake mushrooms, trimmed, torn into bite-size pieces
• lemon, very thinly sliced into rounds, seeds removed, plus wedges for serving
• large shrimp, peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise
• squid or baby octopus tentacles
• fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves with tender stems
• fresh sage leaves
• A deep-fry thermometer

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Fit a medium heavy pot with thermometer; pour in oil to measure 4”. Heat over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°.

Meanwhile, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and ½ tsp. salt in a large bowl. Whisk in club soda just to blend (a few lumps are okay; just don’t overmix). Dip one-fourth of mixed vegetables, citrus, seafood, and herbs into batter, letting excess drip back into bowl. Fry, turning occasionally to cook evenly and gently, separating as needed, until golden and crisp, 1–3 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined wire rack; season with salt. Repeat 3 more times with remaining ingredients, returning oil to 350° between batches. Serve with lemon wedges.