Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
10 to 30 mins
Serves
Serves 2

From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the fritto misto
- 6 small tiger prawns, in shells, cut through the back
- 1 small squid, with tentacles, cleaned, scored and cut into pieces
- 1 soft-shell crab, cut in half
- 4 oysters, shucked
- 2 small sole fillets, skinned and cut into thick slices
- 4 thin lemon slices
- 500ml/18fl oz full-fat milk
- 250g/9oz ‘00’ flour
- 60g/2¼oz semolina flour
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 6 basil leaves
For the oyster and chervil mayonnaise
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 3 oysters, shucked and juice reserved
- 150ml/5fl oz olive oil
- 150ml/5fl oz vegetable oil
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh chervil, plus extra sprigs to garnish
- salt
Method
Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
To make the fritto misto, soak the seafood, fish and lemon slices in the milk in a large bowl for 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a sieve to drain. Mix the flours together in a bowl and tip into the sieve, tossing to coat everything completely. Fry in the deep fat fryer until crisp and golden. Carefully transfer to kitchen paper to drain.
Add the basil leaves to the deep fat fryer for a few seconds until crispy, then transfer to kitchen paper to drain.
To make the mayonnaise, blitz the yolks, oysters and oyster juice together in a food processor until thickened and emulsified. Mix the two oils together in a jug and very slowly add the oil mixture to the processor, making sure each drop of oil is incorporated before adding more. Season with salt and stir in the lemon juice and chopped chervil.
Garnish the fritto misto with the chervil sprigs and serve with deep-fried basil leaves and oyster mayonnaise.