Fritto Misto all'Ascolana
A lavish Ascoli Piceno fried platter combining meat-stuffed olives, sweet fried custard cubes (cremini), tender lamb cutlets, and crisp vegetables.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 820 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy deep pan or deep-fat fryer
- •Spider strainer or slotted spoon
- •Small saucepan
- •Baking dish
- •Three shallow bowls
- •Kitchen paper
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 820 kcal
- fat
- 48 g
- carbs
- 58 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 38 g
- calories
- 820 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Whisk milk, egg yolks, sugar, flour, and lemon zest in a saucepan until completely smooth without lumps.
- 2
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens into a very dense paste that pulls away from the sides.
- 3
Spread the custard 1.5 cm thick in a greased shallow dish and chill until firm and cold to the touch.
- 4
Cut the chilled set custard into bite-sized diamond or square shapes to create the cremini.
- 5
Set up three shallow bowls containing flour, beaten eggs, and fine breadcrumbs respectively.
- 6
Coat the stuffed olives, custard cubes, lamb cutlets, and courgettes in flour, dip into egg, and roll thoroughly in breadcrumbs.
- 7
Heat oil in a deep pan to 175°C until a dropped breadcrumb sizzles vigorously upon contact.
- 8
Fry the lamb cutlets for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp, golden brown, and cooked through, then drain on paper.
- 9
Fry the stuffed olives and courgette batons in batches for 3 minutes until deeply golden and crunchy, then drain.
- 10
Fry the cremini custard cubes last for 2 minutes until light golden and crisp, taking care they do not burst.
- 11
Season the savoury fried items lightly with sea salt and arrange everything immediately on a warm platter while piping hot.
Chef's tips
Always fry the sweet cremini last so that any escaped custard does not scorch into the oil. Make sure the custard is fully chilled and stiff before cutting and breading to prevent it from leaking into the hot oil.
Ingredient substitutions
- Ascolana tenera olives → large green Spanish or Cerignola olives, pitted and hand-stuffed with meat paste
- lamb cutlets → small tender veal cutlets or escalopes cut into bite-sized pieces
- courgettes → tender trimmed artichoke quarters
Storage
Fritto misto is best eaten immediately; do not store or chill, as the breading softens quickly.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers on a wire rack in an oven heated to 200°C for 5 minutes to restore slight crispness.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Frying at oil temperatures below 170°C, which causes the breading to absorb excess oil and turn greasy.
- •Overcrowding the pan, causing the oil temperature to plummet and the breading to become soggy.
- •Salting the cremini alongside the savoury items, which ruins their sweet contrast.
Serving suggestions
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