FRITTO MISTO

SERVES 10 AS AN ENTRÉE

1.75kg mixture of seafood, such as baby squid, prawns,

mussels, oysters, scallops, blue cod or salmon flaky sea salt, to taste

2 litres olive oil, for deep-frying

190g self-raising flour

350ml sparkling water, chilled

1 free-range egg white lemon wedges, to serve (optional)

To prepare the seafood, remove the tentacles from the baby squid and cut in half lengthwise. Shell and de-vein the prawns. Remove the mussels or oysters from the shell and cut the scallops and fish fillets of your choice into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl and season well with sea salt and pepper.

Fill a deep saucepan with the oil and heat to 190°C. Use a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature. If you have a deep-fryer, set it to 190°C.

While you are waiting for the oil to heat up, sift the flour into a large bowl, add a pinch of table salt and whisk in the sparkling water until just combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white to stiff peaks and fold into the batter.

A few pieces at a time, coat the seafood lightly in the batter and fry in the hot oil in batches for 1–2 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. Drain on paper towels and place in a warm oven while you finish frying the rest.

Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately. This goes really well with salsa verde or lemon aioli, but is equally delicious with just a generous squeeze of lemon juice.

So, make this menu your own by using your favourite local ingredients for a Kiwi take on a Italian long lunch.