Fritto misto with Prosecco DOC (Tempura)

Name: Fritto misto with Prosecco DOC (Tempura)
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: European, Mediterranean, Italian
Ingredients: 1 aubergine; 1 red pepper; 2 courgettes; 8 courgette flowers; 1 sprig of sage; 1 fresh onion; 1 l of vegetable oil to fry; Salt to taste; 240 ml of Prosecco; 200 g of plain flour; 2 egg whites (whipped until stiff); A pinch of salt; 200 g tempura flour; 300 ml of Prosecco; 1 egg; 250 ml of vegetable oil; 1 tsp of mustard; 20 ml of white wine vinegar; 1 bunch of basil (about 40 gr); 1 lemon; Salt and pepper to taste

10 steps

Prep:40min

My guilty pleasure is ‘fritto misto’, aka fry mix! I know the description is very frugal, but I believe it says just enough  Of course, you can find many local variations to this dish, depending on where you are in Italy - It could be seafood or meat-based, or it could be fully vegetarian, and it can be battered, breaded or natural, you name it! For my take, I decided to go veggie using delicious summer vegetables coated with a super crispy Prosecco DOC batter! Yes, a batter made with Prosecco DOC for an extra hint of acidity paired with a zingy basil mayo. Delicious. Serve this as a sharing starter if you have friends over or even as a main course in larger portions. Chef’s tips: remember to season the tempura with salt just before serving and not before, as the salt will draw out the humidity. Use a tempura mix if you want to keep it vegan or alternatively feel free to use the traditional batter

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 07:30:12 GMT

Ingredients

4 servings

1 sprigsage

FOR THE BATTER/TEMPURA

240mlProsecco

200gplain flour

2egg whites

whipped until stiff

salt

200gtempura flour

300mlProsecco

FOR THE DRESSING

1egg

250mlvegetable oil

1 tspmustard

20mlwhite wine vinegar

1 bunchbasil

Instructions

Step 1

To prepare the basil oil, blitz the basil with the vegetable oil until it turns green then filter it through a sieve.

Step 2

For the dressing, blanch the egg in boiling water for 1 minute then cool it in iced water. This step will not pasteurize the egg, but it will give you a firmer mayo.

Step 3

Crack the egg into a jug then add the mustard, the vinegar and a splash of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and blend at the lower power while constantly pouring the basil oil over until you have a sauce. Keep in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Step 4

To prepare the traditional batter whisk the flour with the Prosecco DOC and the salt then gently incorporate the whipped whites.

Step 5

Alternatively, simply mix the Prosecco DOC with the tempura mix.

Step 6

Slice the vegetables in different shapes but remember to keep similar thickness (no more than 3 or 4 mm for maximum crispiness). Dust the sliced vegetables with flour and dip them as you go into the tempura.

Step 7

Fry at 180 degrees until golden and super crispy. Mix and turn the vegetables gently while they cook as you don’t want to break or pierce the crispy tempura coating.

Step 8

Pat dry on kitchen paper and plate in a large platter.

Step 9

Place the mayo in individual bowls and garnish with lemon zest and fresh basil leaves.

Step 10

Season the vegetable tempura just before serving and enjoy with a cold glass of Prosecco DOC brut for a great pairing.