Mixed Fried Fish, or Il Fritto Misto di Pesce: Quick and Easy

If you have a deep fat fryer, frying fish is one of the easiest and quickest dishes one could possibly imagine. But there are a few requirements.

• The fish must be absolutely fresh: Since there are no sauces -- merely a little lemon and some salt -- the flavor comes from the fish.
• The oil must be fresh: Fresh oil does not impart flavors or aromas, and has a higher smoke point than oil that has already been used.

In this photo Alfonso Borrelli is flouring a mixture of squid rings and slices of swordfish fillet, which may sound extravagant, but are what the Osteria L'Antica Quercia had at the time (the daily delivery of fresh fish takes place in the afternoon, to have it as fresh as possible for the evening's diners). He generally also adds peeled deveined shrimp, and also small fry, tiny whole fish.

The flouring process is simple: Put small handfuls of fish in a fairly coarse strainer, and pull the strainer up through a bowl of flour while gently shaking it from side to side; the flour will coat the pieces evenly, and then you shake off the excess.

More from Alfonso Borrelli:
An Antipasto Misto Toscano
Risotto di Mare
Osteria L'Antica Quercia, where he cooks