Gatherings around the holidays call for special dishes that aren’t regular fare, in my humble opinion. If you happen to be in charge of the food this year, you may be wondering what kinds of dishes might satisfy the array of different palates you’ll be serving. 

For the last few years, I have let a traditional fried Italian appetizer be the out-of-the-ordinary dish that seems to please everyone. It’s called fritto misto, which essentially means “mix of fried,” a simple and apt characterization of the open-ended deliciousness made possible by a light deep fry. 

Fritto misto is usually a mix of seafood and vegetables dunked in a light batter and fried quickly to create crunch from the breading while the interior ingredients maintain much of their integrity. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of dish that allows you to provide a wide variety of options for family, friends and guests, and it has been a hit every time I’ve served it. 

I grew up in a family where we made and ate a close cousin of this Italian dish that comes from Japan called “tempura.” The Japanese got the technique from Portuguese Catholic missionaries who lightly coated foods in flour before frying them. It turns out that frying food in a light batter and pairing it with dips is quite popular around the globe. 

On a trip to Italy this fall, I sought out the real thing in Venice because of its proximity to the ocean. My medley of shrimp, squid and various vegetables was such a delicious sample of the area, and the perfect appetizer before the other classic Venetian street foods on my traveler’s to-eat list. 

Seafood is not a regular menu item in most land-locked Big Sky Country homes. Shrimp is my go-to fritto misto protein preference because I’ve found reliable sources of plump and flavorful frozen shrimp close to home. (Costco’s meat department has large bags of frozen deveined shrimp that I really like.) 

Whether it’s shrimp, squid, scallops or some kind of white fish like halibut or cod, there are good options in Montana despite our lack of a coastline, including distributors in the state’s larger cities that fly in fresh and good-quality frozen seafood for sushi or fish-centric restaurants. Give your local distributor a call to see what they may have available. 

Or, if you want to go the all-veggie route, I can assure you your guests will be happy with a colorful array of plant-based options for a fritto misto appetizer. My recipe includes plenty of my rainbow-showcasing favorites: red onion, acorn squash, broccolini, red or yellow bell pepper, zucchini, fennel, porcini or button mushrooms and paper-thin sliced lemon. 

Remember that these are just suggestions. This dish is easily adaptable to your own preferences. Just know that you may need to experiment with how the vegetables are sliced or prepared to ensure they cook evenly and without the need to leave them in the oil too long. 

The deep-fried goodness of this fritto misto is complemented nicely by a bright and creamy lemon aioli that pairs well with nearly anything you might decide to bread and fry. And it’s very easy to prepare. 

If you or someone at your holiday gathering belong to the gluten-free club, there are recipes available online for rice flour or chickpea flour fritto misto. The batters tend to have different consistencies, but are still delicious. 

Fritto misto is a casual affair that rewards cooking in rounds and visiting with guests along the way. You shouldn’t cook your entire batch at once or the freshly fried food loses its crispness and heat. Encourage your guests to eat as each round is cooked and has cooled just a bit. Once you’ve done a round or two and everyone has had a chance to sample the options, I often start taking requests like a culinary DJ. 

The mouths you feed with this special-occasion dish won’t soon forget the delicious fried feast of fritto misto. Buon appetito and happy holidays!

Prep all your vegetables and shrimp. Shell and devein the shrimp and keep them cold in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fry. I like to create 1/2-inch rings with the red onion; slice the porcini mushrooms in half; slice long, 1/8-1/4-inch-thick strips of zucchini; 1/2-inch-wide strips of red or yellow bell pepper; 1/8-inch-thick slices of acorn squash; paper-thin slices of lemon (peel and all, with seeds removed); 3-inch stems of broccolini; and 1/8-inch pieces of fennel sliced lengthwise. 

Preheat a large Dutch oven or large pan on medium heat with vegetable oil around 3 to 4 inches tall in the pan. You don’t want the oil too close to the top of the pan because it bubbles up as you add the battered food. Use a deep-fry thermometer to know when the temperature has reached 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Combine all the batter’s dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk. Just before you are ready to cook your fritto misto, whisk in your sparkling water. Do not over-mix. 

Cooking fritto misto is best done in batches to ensure that too many ingredients don’t cool the oil, and so all the ingredients can cook within the same 2- to 3-minute time frame. I like to add 8-10 ingredients to the batter at a time, then gently drop them into the oil. If your shrimp are large, they may take the most time, but many of the veggies can cook more quickly. The broccolini, acorn squash, mushrooms and bell peppers may take more time than the onions, lemon and zucchini. Place your batter in the fridge to keep it cold between rounds of frying. 

Using a metal slotted spoon or wire strainer/spider, lift the fried contents out and onto a wire rack with paper towels underneath. As soon as they come out of the oil is a good time to sprinkle on some salt. 

Before frying each new batch of fritto misto, make sure your oil temperature reaches 350 degrees. If you add your ingredients while the oil is too cool, the fritto misto will take longer to cook and will retain too much oil. Having your temperature too high will cook the batter too quickly and leave the underlying ingredient undercooked. 

For the lemon aioli, combine all ingredients and taste for balance and seasoning. Adjust according to your preferences. 

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