Carina Contini's Fritto Misto
Recipe: Fritto Misto
We have three venues and the same number of children and there are many similarities. Like our offspring, our businesses have completely different personalities. Our Italian heritage shines through at Contini Ristorante with our weekly deliveries from the markets in Italy, which provide the taste and flavour of sunshine from our grandparents’ homeland. The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant is as Scottish as Robert Burns with 70 artisan suppliers showcased and celebrated. Sustainable practices define every single choice, from the cold pressed rapeseed oil to the hake (not haddock) that features in our fish and chips as it’s the best catch from our local waters at this time of year. (I suppose if we had to choose a fish to align with each restaurant then The Scottish Cafe would be Peterhead hake, Cannonball would be wild fresh halibut and Contini Ristorante is fritto misto.) And then there is Cannonball at the top of the Royal Mile. Its ice-cream parlour connects us to the moment our grandparents landed in Scotland, and our dining room has the most stunning views of Edinburgh Castle, reminding us who and where we are now – second generation Italian Scots and so proud of that fact.
Ingredients
- 1 fillet red mullet, cut into one inch strips
- 4 fresh langoustine, deveined
- 125g squid, cleaned and cut into rings
- 12 fresh anchovies, gutted, heads intact
- 100g strong white flour
- 300ml light olive oil for frying
- salt
Serves: 2 Difficulty: Easy Time to cook: 20 mins
Method
The Japanese are wonderful at frying fish and make the loveliest and crispiest tempura batter. The Italians however like it light. So go for spanking fresh fish, washed and dried then tossed in flour and fried.
To make the Fritto Misto:
When frying you have to take care, be attentive and don’t get distracted. If you don’t have a sealed fryer, a large cast iron casserole will do the job. The trick is to get the oil up to a constant temperature of around 170C. If you haven’t a thermometer then the best way is to get the oil to the temperature where it sizzles when you add the fish, but doesn’t spark.
Then, dip the dry fish in the seasoned flour, shake off any extra and fry in small batches until golden. Don’t overcrowd the fish.
Place the fried fish onto a tray with greaseproof paper and store in a medium oven while you are frying. Serve immediately once all the fish is fried. Remember to turn off the heat from the oil and allow to cool.