Fritto misto is the Italian way of frying fish and seafood: light, crispy, golden, and served with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon. You find it all along the Italian coast, from Liguria down to Naples and Sicily, made with whatever the boats brought in that morning: squid, shrimp, anchovies and small fish.
I had it in Milan at Trattoria al Toscanaccio in November 2024, next to a plate of mixed grilled fish. Really delicious. Then on 1 May 2026, in Corsica, I ordered a fritto misto as a starter at La Voile Rouge in Solenzara: very generous and excellent.
This is the traditional version, and it is easier to make at home than you might think. The secret comes down to three things: very fresh seafood, dried well, and oil kept at the right temperature.
The story of that day: 🇮🇹 Milan and Football Match AC Milan - Juventus
The recipe
Classic recipeThe traditional recipe for the dish, not the one from the restaurant where I tasted it.
Ingredients
Fish and seafood
- 400 g fresh squid
- 300 g whole raw shrimp
- 300 g fresh anchovies (or small smelts)
For frying and serving
- 150 g fine durum wheat semolina (semola rimacinata)
- 50 g type 00 flour
- 1.5 l peanut oil for frying
- Fine salt
- 1 lemon
Method
- Clean the squid: pull out the head, the clear quill and peel off the skin. Cut the bodies into 1 cm rings and keep the tentacles whole. Rinse under cold water.
- Remove the dark vein from the shrimp with a toothpick. You can leave them whole for extra crunch, or peel them and keep the tail on.
- Clean the anchovies: pull the head down towards the belly so the guts come out with it, then rinse them quickly.
- Dry everything very well with paper towels. This is the key to a crispy result, and it also stops the oil from spitting.
- Heat the oil to 180 °C in a large, deep pan, ideally using a thermometer. Mix the semolina and flour in a large dish.
- Toss the seafood in the mixture in small batches, then shake it in a sieve to remove the excess. The fish should be only lightly coated.
- Fry in small batches: about 2 minutes for the squid, 2 to 3 minutes for the shrimp and 1 to 2 minutes for the anchovies, until golden. Let the oil come back to 180 °C between batches.
- Drain on paper towels or a rack and salt straight away. Serve immediately, piping hot, with the lemon cut into wedges.
Tips and variations
- Never salt the fish before frying: salt draws out water and the coating turns soggy.
- To serve everything at once, keep the first batches in the oven at 90 °C with the door ajar, for no more than 10 minutes.
- Depending on the season, add baby cuttlefish, red mullet or a few zucchini sticks.
- Once cooled, strain the oil: you can use it once more for frying fish.
Recipe shared for guidance only, adapt it to your equipment: times and temperatures may vary. Check for allergens (gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame…) and make sure ingredients are fresh. Raw or undercooked fish, meat and eggs are not recommended for pregnant women, young children, elderly or vulnerable people. Take care with hot oil, flambéing and alcohol. I am not a health or nutrition professional.