Fritto Misto di Pesce (Italian Mixed Seafood Fry)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 60 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 7
About this dish
A dry coat of rice flour, no batter, lets the shape of the red mullet fillets and squid rings show through.
Read more
Latterini, tiny silversides, are fried whole, and the prawns keep their heads and shells, making a platter of very different pieces. Everything is patted dry before flouring, because any water left on the seafood makes the flour clump thickly and the oil spit. The oil stays at or below 175°C, and waiting for it to come back up between batches keeps later batches from turning soggy. Squid comes out when the center of its thickest piece reaches 63°C, not when the coating looks done. Everything is served in a single layer with just salt, never piled or covered.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Scale, gut and behead the red mullet, then fillet and remove pin bones.
Clean the squid of innards, quill, eyes, beak and skin; cut the body into roughly 1cm rings and retain the tentacles.
- 2
Briefly rinse the tiny fish and prawns, then dry all the seafood and separate by type.
Keep heads and shells on the prawns and refrigerate prepared seafood until its batch is ready to fry.
- 3
Heat the peanut oil in a deep pot to about 170-175°C, without exceeding 175°C.
Spread rice flour on a tray, lightly coat and shake the fillets, then fry in small batches for about 2 minutes per side.
- 4
Lift out and drain the fish when its flesh is opaque and separates easily.
Flour the squid rings and tentacles, shake in a sieve and fry in batches for about 3 minutes once the oil has recovered. Do not rely on time alone for the squid; check that the center of its thickest part reaches 63°C.
- 5
Flour and shake the tiny fish, frying about 1-2 minutes until cooked and crisp.
Finally, lightly flour the prawns including heads and shells; fry about 2-3 minutes and check that the flesh is opaque inside.
- 6
Drain the fried seafood in one layer and distribute the salt evenly.
Serve promptly without packing tightly or covering.
References checked
These references were consulted when this page was prepared or corrected. A source check does not mean the recipe was independently kitchen-tested.
- Fritto misto di pesce
Sonia Peronaci · Checked: 2026-09-07