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Fish, Italy

Seafood fritto misto with green salad

Seafood fritto misto is an Italian fried mix of squid, shrimp and white fish, served with a green salad and lemon wedges. For 4 people, it takes 40 minutes and medium skill, at €4.80 per person. The secret is thoroughly dried seafood and oil at 180°C for a dry, crisp coating.

Tonight we're celebrating like we're at the harbor with a fritto misto, tender little squid, crevettes and golden fish, lemon and a fresh salad on the side.

Seafood fritto misto with green salad
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€4.80
Calories per person
590 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer
The kids
They generally like it

Seafood fritto misto tastes like a seaside vacation on a plate. The squid stays tender under a thin crust, the shrimp keep their juiciness, and the white fish flakes apart with a fork. The flour and semolina mix gives that dry, crackling texture that never turns heavy, especially with a good squeeze of lemon on top.

This is a dish for when you want to host without overcomplicating things, on a summer Sunday evening or with friends. Kids usually love the crispy little squid rings and the shrimp they can eat with their fingers. Plan for a bit of organization since you fry in batches, but the result is worth those extra few minutes at the stove.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Squid rings 300 g
  • Raw peeled shrimp 300 g
  • Small whitebait or white fish fillets 300 g

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 100 g
  • Fine semolinaoften in the pantry 50 g
  • Frying oiloften in the pantry 1.2 L
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Lemon 2
  • Green salad 1

Allergens Gluten, Fish, Shellfish, Mollusks

The step by step recipe

  1. Pat all the fish and seafood dry with paper towels.

    Dry everything with paper towels, the flour only sticks to a dry surface.

  2. Mix the flour and semolina, coat the pieces in it, then shake off the excess in a strainer.

    Coat the pieces right before frying, otherwise moisture turns the coating into a sticky paste.

  3. Heat the oil to 180°C and fry in small batches. 8 min

    Drop a cube of bread into the oil, it should turn golden in 30 seconds, a sign the oil is at 180°C.

  4. Drain on paper towels and salt immediately.

    Keep the first batch warm at 100°C on a rack, it stays crisp.

  5. Dress the salad with olive oil and salt and serve with lemon wedges.

    Squeeze lemon over the fry at the table, the juice cuts through the richness.

Our tips to get it right

  • Never overcrowd the fryer or pan, the pieces need room to float freely without touching so they brown evenly.
  • Swap out the oil if it has already been used several times, tired oil makes a heavier, less crispy fritto misto.
  • Cut the white fish fillets into pieces the same size as the squid and shrimp so everything cooks in the same amount of time.

The variations

  • Swap the white fish for shelled mussels or small cooked octopus for a different mix of textures.
  • For a vegetarian version, make a vegetable fritto misto with zucchini, zucchini flowers and eggplant slices, coated the same way.
  • For kids in a hurry, fry only the squid rings and shrimp, they cook faster and have no bones to watch for.

What to serve it with

  • Homemade aioli sauce
  • A glass of dry white wine
  • Bread to soak up the lemony oil

Storage

Fritto misto is best eaten right away, it loses its crispness within a few hours. If you have leftovers, keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 day and reheat in a hot oven on a rack so they don't go soft. Freezing isn't recommended, the fried texture suffers too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you prepare fritto misto ahead of time?

You can prep and coat the seafood a few hours ahead, but fry the pieces right before serving. The crispness disappears quickly once the fry cools down.

What oil should you use to fry fritto misto?

A neutral oil that handles heat well, like sunflower or peanut oil, works perfectly. Avoid olive oil for frying, its smoke point is too low.

Can you replace the squid if you don't like it?

Yes, you can swap it for more shrimp or white fish keeping the same total weight. The result stays just as crispy with the flour and semolina coating.

How do you check the oil temperature without a thermometer?

Drop a small cube of bread into the hot oil, it should turn golden in about 30 seconds. If it's faster, the oil is too hot, if it's slower, let it heat a bit more.

How long does it take to make a seafood fritto misto with green salad?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a seafood fritto misto with green salad?

About 590 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a seafood fritto misto with green salad cost?

About €4.80 per serving, or €19.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, fish, shellfish, mollusks. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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