Fritto Misto

Fritto Misto  

One of my dreams is to have a Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. The Feast is a longstanding Italian American celebration rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition of abstaining from eating meat the day prior to a feast day. As such, many observant Catholics instead eat a meal made of many fish dishes as an observance in waiting for baby Jesus to arrive! A true celebration!  

For many years I’ve served my family Dungeness crab and creamy potatoes au gratin on or around Christmas Eve! This year I thought it’d be wonderful to prepare seven stunning dishes from the sea to usher in the final day in the advent season. I chose the fritto misto as it’s a wildly popular dish during the grand meal, or Feast of the Seven Fishes. My version has fried fresh herbs and a lovely crispy coating that surely makes these calamari better than any fried calamari you’ve ever tasted. Merry Christmas from the Kartes crew! 

Serves 4-6  

Prep time: 15 minutes  

Cool time: 30 minutes 

1 1/2 pounds calamari tubes and tentacles  

1 pound large shrimp, tail on, shelled and deveined 

1 cup full fat buttermilk or heavy cream  

1 teaspoon onion powder  

1 teaspoon garlic powder  

Salt and pepper to taste  

The flour dredging  

2 cups flour  

1 teaspoon onion powder  

1/2 teaspoon paprika  

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper  

1 teaspoon kosher salt  

4-6 cups neutral oil suitable for frying (we used sunflower oil)  

1. Slice the cleaned squid tubes into rings.  
2. Place the calamari/squid and shrimp into a large bowl. Cover with the buttermilk or cream and the seasonings. Set aside.   
3. In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour dredging ingredients.   
4. Set a station up: the soaked squid and shrimp, the seasoned flour, and a large platter lined with paper towels.   
5. Bring the oil to 350 degrees over medium heat in a large heavy bottom sauce/soup pot. If you don’t have a thermometer, the oil should shimmer and dance a bit—but not smoke. If the oil begins to smoke, it’s too hot. Remove from heat to cool.  
6. Dip the squid and shrimp into the seasoned flour and shake off the excess, then lay the flour-dusted pieces into the hot oil. It should bubble immediately. Fill the pan, but do not overcrowd or the coating will slide off the fish.  
7. Fry 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, then lay cooked pieces onto the paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt.  
8. Once you’ve finished frying all the shrimp and squid, fry the thinly sliced lemons and herbs 3-4 minutes. Dip in garlic & herb aioli. You can eat these whole along with the crispy squid and shrimp.  

Garlic & Herb Aioli 

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise  

1 clove fresh garlic  

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley  

1/2 cup chopped green onions  

1/2 cup cilantro  

The juice of a lemon  

Salt and pepper to taste 

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until well combined. This lasts in the fridge up to 4 days.