RECIPE: Make the Americano’s Fritto Misto
I’m not sure I would tackle fritto misto at home, but I would love to know how the Americano gets their version so light and crisp. It’s the perfect shareable appetizer. Thanks.
Adelaide Gibson, Atlanta
When he sent the recipe, the Americano’s executive chef Scott Conant wrote, “Our fritto misto is a fun play on a traditional Italian American calamari. It’s different and craveable with its range of textures and flavors. You never know what you’re popping into your mouth next. It could be a vegetable or seafood.”
You may be able to find rock shrimp at your seafood counter, but if not, substitute jumbo shrimp with 21 to 25 shrimp per pound. Double zero flour is a very finely milled flour traditionally used in Italy for making pizza. A mix of half all-purpose flour and half cake flour can be used as a substitute.
The Americano’s Fritto Misto
- 2 1/2 cups peeled rock shrimp
- 2 cups calamari rings
- Bottom 2 1/2 inches of 6 green onions, roots trimmed
- 6 pickled hot cherry peppers, cut into 1/8-inch rings
- 4 serrano peppers, stems removed, cut into 1/8-inch rings
- Whole milk, to cover seafood and vegetables
- 3 cups 00 (double zero) flour
- 1 1/2 cups rice flour
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 3 lemons, ends removed, divided
- 6 small sprigs rosemary
- 12 sprigs Italian parsley
- 6 sage leaves
- In a large bowl, combine shrimp, calamari, green onions, cherry peppers and serrano peppers. Add milk to cover. Let sit 5 minutes or cover bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.
- Make seasoned flour: In a large bowl, whisk together double zero and rice flours. Add pinches of salt and pepper.
- When ready to fry: In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat to 365 degrees. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and place next to the bowl of flour. Line a second baking sheet with paper towels and place next to the cooktop.
- While oil is heating, drain seafood and vegetables and discard milk. Working in small batches, use tongs to move some of the seafood and vegetables to the bowl of seasoned flour. Toss to cover evenly with flour, then shake off excess flour and move pieces to the prepared wire rack. Continue until all seafood and vegetables are coated with flour.
- Working in small batches, use tongs to put floured seafood and vegetables in Dutch oven and fry 2 to 4 minutes or until each piece is golden brown. Remove each piece as it browns and place it on the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
- When all seafood and vegetables have been fried, cut 1 lemon into 8 slices, discarding any seeds. Add lemon slices to hot oil and fry until crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain lemon slices on the paper towels with the fried seafood and vegetables. Add rosemary sprigs, parsley sprigs and sage leaves to the hot oil and cook until crisp, about 30 seconds. Drain the herbs with the other fried items.
- Transfer and arrange the seafood, vegetables, lemon slices and herbs on a large serving platter. Cut 3 (1/2-inch-thick) slices off the sides of each of the 2 remaining lemons, and add to the platter. Serve immediately.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 500 calories (percent of calories from fat, 67), 17 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 38 grams total fat (6 grams saturated), 147 milligrams cholesterol, 676 milligrams sodium.Note: For nutritional calculations, the salt included is defined as 1/16 teaspoon.
From the menu of . . . The Americano, InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, 3315 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-946-9070, theamericanorestaurant.com/atlanta.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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