Come fry with me

WHAT’S your weakness? Maybe you love perfect thin-sliced onion rings, those seriously flavored, crisp-coated tangles. Maybe you’re a tempura fan, delighting in the tender, buttery texture of a thin, lightly fried slice of winter squash in its delicate golden brown wrapping.

Delicious stuff, we grant you, but one crunchy classic is pulling ahead of the pack these days. L.A. chefs have lately been going head over heels for fritto misto -- “mixed fry” in Italian. You might think the ethereal combos would be tough to replicate at home, but they’re surprisingly doable.

Today’s fritto misto tends to be lighter then the traditional Italian preparation, and chefs are using a wider range of seasonal ingredients, tossing together flavors and textures with a free hand.

In his remarkably forgiving recipe, Chris Kidder of Literati II first dips blanched baby carrots, green beans, celery root, acorn squash, portabello mushrooms and even clusters of Concord grapes in buttermilk. “It adds a nice sour tang,” he says, “and helps keep the crust crisper than regular milk.”

He then dredges the ingredients in a combination of flour and semolina, a technique he learned from Judy Rodgers, with whom he worked at Zuni Cafe. The semolina gives the fritto a wonderful crispness that doesn’t dissipate as it cools -- a real plus for the home cook who can’t be sure of perfect timing the way a restaurant staff can.

At Hungry Cat in Hollywood, David Lentz also uses buttermilk for dipping, but only for seafood, which he then dredges in Wondra flour. The Wondra, he says, makes for a crisper crust. Vegetables are dredged directly in Wondra, then dipped in beer batter before frying.

“We try to change our assortment throughout the season, and we look for differenttextured things, different shapes,” Kidder says. That’s the key to a great contemporary fritto misto: improvisation.

Paper-thin slices of lemon as well as parsley leaves and smelt are among the surprises Lentz tucks into a mixed seafood fry that also incorporates squid, prawns, zucchini and eggplant.

Fritto misto, in many ways the Italian equivalent of fish and chips, also appears at Palmeri in Brentwood, where the combination of calamari, shrimp and scallops is the perfect nibble with an aperitivo.

It has even made an appearance at Valentino in Santa Monica, where owner Piero Selvaggio has offered bite-size tidbits of shrimp, scallops, zucchini, mushrooms and calamari in paper cones during cocktail receptions at special events.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he says. “We use it as part of a little snack at the beginning.”

Selvaggio notes that fritto misto is a mainstay in every region of Italy, where it’s offered with aioli or marinara sauce for dipping. Valentino’s recipe is a traditional combination of seafood and vegetables, dipped in milk, dredged in flour and deep-fried in olive oil. A simple spicy marinara sauce accompanies. One you know the routine, this is an easy recipe and the results are fabulous, so we think it’s a good guide.

“Speed is of the utmost importance in fritto misto,” Selvaggio says. The seafood and vegetables should be prepared ahead and then, just before serving time, quickly battered, fried and whisked to the table.

To prepare the ingredients, cut vegetables and seafood into pieces small enough to cook through completely without burning on the outside. “The whole idea is everything in two bites,” Selvaggio says.

Crisp or hard vegetables such as winter squash will take longer to cook and should be thinly sliced. Soft vegetables like zucchini or mushrooms will cook more quickly, so they can be left in larger pieces. Have the ingredients at room temperature before dredging them.

Heat the oil while you’re preparing the ingredients. Dip them in milk or buttermilk, then flour or semolina or bread crumbs. Arrange the dredged vegetables and seafood on a tray so they are ready for frying.

For stove-top deep-frying, use a large pot and have a long thermometer handy. Careful temperature control is essential. If the oil is not hot enough, the fritto misto will be pale and greasy. If the oil is too hot, it will scorch and the food will not be cooked through.

It’s tricky to deep-fry without a thermometer, but you can try to gauge the temperature by dropping a small cube of bread into the hot oil. When the oil is hot enough for frying, the bread should brown in a little less than a minute, but if it darkens or burns in that time, the oil’s too hot.

A countertop fryer is a wonderful tool and the easiest route. Its thermostatic control maintains the temperature of the oil throughout the frying process.

Peanut oil is one of the best oils to use for frying because of its high smoke point. Pure olive oil, safflower oil, grape seed oil and corn oil are also good choices.

Cook similarly sized pieces that will have similar cooking times in the same batch. Add just a few items at a time to the hot oil. Don’t overload the fryer, or the temperature of the oil may drop and the food will turn out soggy. Don’t add fat or oil once you have started to fry, and do discard the oil after completing the recipe.

Once you get the hang of it, whipping up a batch of fritto misto can be a fun, impromptu way to start a party. As cocktails are mixed and poured, the aroma of frying tidbits reaches your guests. In mere seconds they’ll be biting into hot, crisp morsels, every bite a new sensation.

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Valentino’s fritto misto

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 6

Note: From Piero Selvaggio of Valentino restaurant.

Spicy marinara sauce

1 (1 pound, 12-ounce) can peeled tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon chile flakes

1 anchovy filet, finely chopped (optional)

Salt, pepper

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

1. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the liquid. Puree tomatoes in a blender, then strain. Measure the strained puree and add back enough liquid to equal two cups. Set aside.

2. Heat a medium skillet and add the oil, garlic and chile flakes. Saute a few seconds.

3. Add the tomato puree and anchovy. Simmer over low heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Season to taste. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Fritto misto

2 quarts olive oil

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

2 zucchini, trimmed, cut into lengthwise quarters, then in half crosswise

6 shiitake mushrooms, halved, or, if large, quartered

1 pound Mexican shrimp (31 to 35 count), peeled, deveined, with tails on

1/2 pound Mexican bay scallops

1/2 pound calamari, cleaned and cut into half-inch rings

Salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, place the milk in a large bowl. Place the flour in another large bowl. Have all the ingredients on hand.

2. Dip the zucchini strips and mushrooms in milk, shaking off excess, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Deep-fry until crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Repeat with the shrimp, scallops and calamari, dipping in milk, dredging in flour and frying until crisp and golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste. Serve in a paper cone or on a platter with spicy marinara sauce.

Each serving (without sauce): 480 calories; 34 grams protein; 36 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 22 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 220 mg. cholesterol; 217 mg. sodium.

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Literati II’s vegetable fritto misto

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Servings: 6 to 8

Note: From Chris Kidder of Literati II. The chef changes ingredients with the season, using Concord grapes, for example, when available.

Spiced tomato sauce

1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh horseradish

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons good quality red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chopped green onion tops

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the tomatoes, lemon juice, horseradish, shallots, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, black pepper and salt. Pulse or blend briefly until the mixture is combined but still a bit chunky.

2. Remove and place in a bowl. Fold in the green onions and adjust the seasoning.

Aioli

Juice of 1 medium lemon

2teaspoons Champagne vinegar

5teaspoons water

1 clove garlic

2 egg yolks

2 cups canola oil

1/2 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, vinegar and water. Set aside.

2. Finely chop the garlic and then smash with the side of a knife, smearing the garlic into the cutting board.

3. Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Place a damp towel on the counter in a ring; put the bowl in the ring and tighten the towel to keep the bowl from spinning as you add the oil.

4. With the bowl in place, whisk the egg yolks a bit. While whisking, add three drops of canola oil to the egg yolks. Once incorporated, slowly whisk in another three-fourths cup of the canola oil. The mixture will thicken a bit.

5. Whisk in one-fourth of the lemon juice, vinegar and water mixture. Alternating between the oils and the liquids, repeat this process until all the canola oil, olive oil and liquids have been added. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Whisk in the garlic and salt. Cover and refrigerate.

Fritto misto

1 (1- to 1 1/2 -pound) celery root

1 bunch (15 to 16) baby carrots

1 pound green beans

1 small yellow onion

1/2 (2-pound) acorn squash

2 portabello mushrooms

2 quarts peanut oil or other vegetable oil for frying

4 cups buttermilk

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup semolina

Salt

Spiced tomato sauce

Aioli

1. Peel the celery root and cut it into 12 half-inch-thick wedges. Place in a small pot of lightly salted water and boil gently until knife-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Place on a towel to drain. Reserve the water to blanch the carrots and green beans.

2. Snip the tops of the carrots, keeping 1 inch of the stem intact. Rinse the carrots and rub with a clean kitchen towel to remove any dirt. Place in the pot of lightly salted water and boil gently until knife-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Place on a towel to drain. Reserve water for the green beans.

3. Clean and trim the green beans. Place in the water and cook until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and submerge the beans in ice water until chilled. Place on a towel to drain.

4. Peel the onion. Slice into rings one-eighth inch thick.

5. Rinse and dry the acorn squash half. With the skin on, slice cross sections one-eighth inch thick and carefully remove seeds and pulp.

6. Remove and discard the mushroom stems. Slice the mushrooms into quarter-inch strips, being careful not to break the strips.

7. Pour the oil into a large pot. Clip a thermometer onto the pot if possible. Heat the oil to 360 to 375 degrees, then reduce the heat to low to maintain the temperature.

8. Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl deep enough for the buttermilk to cover the vegetables. Add the vegetables and allow to sit for a minute, stirring to ensure even coating. You may have to do this step and the cooking of the vegetables in batches.

9. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and semolina.

10. Lift the vegetables from the buttermilk, allowing them to drain through your fingers, then place in a large bowl. Take a handful of the flour mixture and dust and toss the vegetables until they are evenly coated. This may take a few dustings and a little skill, moving the bowl around at the same time as you are adding the flour mixture.

11. Place the coated vegetables into the hot oil, using tongs if desired. Cook just what will easily fit in the pan. When you first add the vegetables, the temperature will drop, so increase the heat a bit. Cook until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. The onion takes less time, so you may want to fry that separately.

12. Remove the vegetables from the oil when they are golden brown and drain on paper towels. Season with salt. Repeat until all the vegetables have been fried. Place fried vegetables on a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven to keep them warm while you’re frying.

14. Arrange the vegetables on a plate and serve with spiced tomato sauce and aioli for dipping.

Each of 8 servings (without sauce): 458 calories; 8 grams protein; 46 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber; 28 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 1 mg. cholesterol; 123 mg. sodium.