Fritto misto with sofrito dipping sauce
A fun first course to serve to guests in the kitchen. By the time one batch has been devoured, the next one will be coming out of the fryer. Served with a delicious sofrito dipping sauce, this is the perfect pairing.
SERVES
4
TO
6
Ingredients
Sofrito Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded, and minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and minced
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) red wine
- 2 pounds of ripe tomatoes, grated on a box grater
- 1 sprig rosemary, leaves only, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to season
Fritto Misto
- 1 cup (240 ml) milled arborio rice flour
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) cornstarch
- 1 cup (240 ml) fine corn flour
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) milk
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 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
Garnish
- Flat leaf parsley, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Directions
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, eight to 10 minutes.
- Add the green and red bell pepper and cook until they soften and fall apart.
- Add the wine and cook for two to three minutes to allow 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 cooling then store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
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 a 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.
Serve
- Toss the mixed fried veggies with the parsley leaves.
- Serve with the lemon wedges and Sofrito Dipping Sauce alongside. Enjoy!
