Non-VegetarianAbruzzese cuisine Starters

Fritto di Paranza Abruzzese

Name: Fritto di Paranza Abruzzese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Abruzzese
Ingredients: 400 g small red mullet (triglie); 300 g fresh anchovies (alici); 250 g small squid (calamaretti); 250 g small whiting or baby hake (merluzzetti); 200 g fine durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata); 100 g plain flour (tipo 00); 1 l peanut oil; 5 g Fine sea salt; 2 whole lemons

Small Adriatic catch dusted in semolina and fried crisp, known locally along the Abruzzo coast and in Vasto as frettura de paranze.

🇮🇹Italy· Abruzzo

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

400 g small red mullet (triglie) — gutted and scaled
300 g fresh anchovies (alici) — gutted and heads removed
250 g small squid (calamaretti) — cleaned and sliced into rings
250 g small whiting or baby hake (merluzzetti) — gutted and rinsed
200 g fine durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata) — for a light, crisp crust
100 g plain flour (tipo 00) — sifted
1 l peanut oil — for deep-frying
5 g Fine sea salt — to taste
2 whole lemons — cut into wedges to serve

Equipment

•Deep heavy frying pan
•Spider skimmer
•Fine-mesh sieve
•Kitchen paper
•Cooking thermometer

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 21 g
carbs: 34 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 38 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Rinse the prepared fish and squid thoroughly under cold running water.
2
Pat every piece completely dry using kitchen paper to prevent oil splattering.
3
Combine the durum wheat semolina and plain flour in a wide, shallow tray.
4
Pour the peanut oil into a deep pan and heat to 180°C.
5
Dredge the squid rings lightly in the flour mixture, shaking off excess in a sieve.
6
Lower the squid carefully into the oil and fry for 2 minutes until crisp and pale golden.
7
Lift out with a spider skimmer and drain immediately on kitchen paper.
8
Dredge the small fish in batches, shaking away excess flour thoroughly.
9
Fry each batch for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and crisp throughout.
10
Drain on fresh paper and season with fine sea salt whilst piping hot.
11
Serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges on the side.

Chef's tips

Dry the fish completely before dredging so the flour forms a delicate veil rather than a thick paste. Fry in small batches to keep the oil hot, and salt only right after frying to preserve crispness.

Ingredient substitutions

fine durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata) → all plain flour, though the fried coating will be slightly less crunchy
small squid (calamaretti) → small cuttlefish cut into thin strips
peanut oil → high-oleic sunflower oil

Storage

Best enjoyed immediately upon frying, but keep chilled in a sealed container for up to 1 day.

Reheating

Reheat on a wire rack in an oven preheated to 200°C for 5 minutes.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Salting the fish before frying, which extracts moisture and makes the crust soggy.
•Squeezing lemon juice directly over the whole platter before serving, ruining the crunch.
•Overloading the frying pan, causing the oil temperature to drop rapidly.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately piled onto butcher paper with chilled Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo.Accompany with a crisp green salad dressed in mild extra virgin olive oil.