Frittura del Golfo

Name: Frittura del Golfo
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Ligure
Ingredients: 300 g small squid (calamaretti); 250 g anchovies or sardines; 200 g red mullet (triglie); 150 g small prawns; 100 g plain flour (tipo 00); 100 g fine semolina flour (semola rimacinata); 1 l peanut oil; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 2 lemons

A crisp Ligurian mixed seafood fry of small local fish and squid, traditionally served piping hot in paper cones along the coast.

🇮🇹Italy· Liguria

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

300 g small squid (calamaretti) — cleaned and sliced into rings with tentacles kept whole
250 g anchovies or sardines — gutted and heads removed
200 g red mullet (triglie) — small whole, scaled and gutted
150 g small prawns — shell-on, heads intact
100 g plain flour (tipo 00) — for dusting
100 g fine semolina flour (semola rimacinata) — for extra crispness
1 l peanut oil — for deep-frying
1 tsp Fine sea salt — to taste
2 lemons — cut into wedges for serving

Equipment

•Deep heavy saucepan or deep-fat fryer
•Slotted spoon or spider skimmer
•Large mixing bowl
•Kitchen paper
•Cooking thermometer

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 20 g
carbs: 36 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 38 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Rinse all the prepared seafood thoroughly under cold running water.
2
Pat the seafood completely dry with kitchen paper to ensure crisp frying.
3
Whisk the plain flour and semolina flour together in a wide, shallow bowl.
4
Pour the peanut oil into a deep saucepan and heat to 180 degrees C.
5
Toss a handful of squid and fish into the flour mixture until evenly coated.
6
Shake the seafood vigorously in a fine sieve to remove any excess flour.
7
Lower the floured seafood gently into the hot oil in small batches.
8
Fry for two to three minutes until pale golden and crisp throughout.
9
Lift the fried seafood out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper.
10
Repeat with the remaining seafood, keeping the oil temperature steady at 180 degrees C.
11
Sprinkle the hot fried fish generously with fine sea salt just before serving.
12
Serve immediately in paper cones alongside fresh lemon wedges.

Chef's tips

Drying the seafood thoroughly is vital, as any moisture turns the coating soggy. Dust in batches immediately before frying so the flour does not clump. Never salt the fish before frying or it will release moisture.

Ingredient substitutions

fine semolina flour (semola rimacinata) → all plain flour or fine cornmeal
peanut oil → sunflower oil with a high smoke point

Storage

Fried seafood must be eaten immediately and is not suitable for storage.

Reheating

Reheating is not recommended as the seafood will toughen and lose crispness.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overcrowding the pan, which drops the oil temperature and produces greasy fish.
•Salting the seafood too early, which draws out water and softens the crust.
•Leaving excess flour on the seafood, which burns and clouds the frying oil.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately in brown paper cones (cartoccio) for authentic street-food style.Accompany with chilled Ligurian white wine such as Pigato or Vermentino.Offer fresh lemon wedges on the side for diners to squeeze at the table.