Fritto Misto with Market Vegetables

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven (5-quart minimum)
• •Clip-on thermometer for oil temperature
• •Spider strainer or slotted spoon
• •Wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the artichokes

   Fill a bowl with cold water and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, dropping the spent halves into the water. Pull away the tough outer leaves of each artichoke until you reach the pale, tender inner leaves. Cut off the top third. Trim the stem to an inch, peeling away the fibrous outer layer. Quarter each artichoke and scrape out the fuzzy choke with a spoon. Drop the quarters into the lemon water immediately. They oxidize within minutes.

   Baby artichokes, if you find them, need less trimming. Their chokes are tender enough to eat.
2. 2

   Blanch the artichokes

   Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drain the artichoke quarters and add them to the boiling water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a knife. They should offer slight resistance. Drain and spread on a clean kitchen towel to dry completely. Wet vegetables spatter dangerously in hot oil.

3. 3

   Prepare remaining vegetables

   Slice the zucchini on the bias into ovals about a quarter inch thick. Cut the fennel into similar slices, discarding the core. Trim the green beans. Gently open each squash blossom and remove the stamen inside, leaving the blossom intact. Lay all vegetables on towels and pat completely dry. This step matters more than any other.

   Choose zucchini no thicker than two fingers. Large ones hold too much water and turn soggy inside the batter.
4. 4

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil into a deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven to a depth of 3 inches. Attach a thermometer and heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 375 degrees. The temperature will drop when you add vegetables. Patience here. Rushing produces greasy, pale fritto.

5. 5

   Make the batter at the last moment

   Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt in a wide bowl. Pour in the cold sparkling water and stir with chopsticks or a fork just until barely combined. The batter should be thin enough to drip from your fingers in ribbons. Lumps are fine. Visible flour is fine. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the coating heavy.

   Keep the sparkling water in the refrigerator until this moment. Cold batter fries crisper because the temperature shock creates more steam, more lift.
6. 6

   Fry in batches

   Work in small batches to keep the oil temperature steady. Dip each piece of vegetable into the batter, let the excess drip off for a moment, then lower gently into the hot oil. Fry until golden and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes, turning once if needed. The artichokes take longest. The squash blossoms take only a minute. Listen for the sizzle. When it quiets, the moisture has left and the vegetable is done.

7. 7

   Drain and season immediately

   Transfer fried vegetables to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Salt them the moment they leave the oil, while the surface is still slightly tacky. Flaky sea salt clings better and tastes brighter than fine. Keep finished pieces warm in a low oven while you fry the rest.

8. 8

   Serve at once

   Pile the fritto onto a warm platter lined with a cloth napkin. Scatter lemon wedges around the edges. This is food that waits for no one. The moment steam escapes, the batter begins to soften. Call everyone to the table before you finish the last batch. Let them eat while you cook. That is the proper rhythm of fritto misto.

Chef Tips

• •Buy your vegetables the morning you plan to cook. Squash blossoms close and wilt within hours of picking. Their aliveness is the whole point.
• •The batter must stay cold. Set the bowl over a larger bowl of ice while you work. When it warms, the coating turns leaden.
• •Do not crowd the pot. Three or four pieces at a time. More than that drops the temperature and steams the vegetables instead of frying them.
• •Use your nose. When the oil smells clean and faintly nutty, it is ready. When it smells stale or fishy, it has broken down. Start fresh.
• •In autumn, try cauliflower florets, sage leaves, and sliced delicata squash. In spring, asparagus spears and ramps. The market tells you what to fry.

Advance Preparation

• •Artichokes can be trimmed and held in lemon water for up to 4 hours.
• •Other vegetables can be sliced, dried, and refrigerated between towels for up to 2 hours.
• •The batter cannot be made ahead. Mix it only when the oil reaches temperature and fry immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)