FRITTO MISTO WITH GARLIC AND SAFFRON MAYONNAISE

Battered and fried seafood dipped into garlicky mayonnaise is one of my favorite summer holiday dishes. But if you find the idea of preparing all that seafood too intimidating, it’s a recipe that works just as well with vegetables.

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• Bunch of asparagus, woody ends snapped off
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced
• 1 head of radicchio, cut into small wedges
• 2 zucchinis, cut into thin sticks
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• Vegetable oil
• 12 sage leaves

FOR THE BATTER

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg
• ⅔ cup milk

FOR THE MAYONNAISE

• Pinch of saffron strands
• 3 free-range egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

SAFFRON MAYONNAISE

1. Soak the saffron in 1 tablespoon of boiling water for 30 seconds.
2. Beat the egg yolks with the mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and saffron plus a little of its water in a bowl (or blend in a food processor).
3. Add the oils gradually in a slow, steady stream.
4. Season with salt and pepper, adding a little more lemon juice if you like a sharp flavor. Set aside.

DEEP-FRIED VEGETABLES

1. Heat a deep-fat fryer to 340°F, or fill a large saucepan a third full of oil and heat until a cube of bread dropped in the hot oil sizzles and turns golden in 30 seconds. (Alternatively, pan-fry with less oil, turning frequently.)
2. Put the flour for the batter into a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
3. Mix in the olive oil, then make a well in the middle and slowly whisk in the egg, milk, and ⅔ cup water. Whisk for 2–3 minutes until smooth.
4. Dust the prepared vegetables in seasoned flour, shaking off any excess before dipping them into the batter.
5. Fry in batches in the hot oil for about 2–3 minutes each or until golden.
6. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, and repeat with the remaining vegetables.
7. Finally, dip the sage leaves in the batter, shake off any excess, and fry for 20–30 seconds until crisp.
8. Serve the battered vegetables and sage leaves hot with the mayonnaise on the side for dipping.

HOW TO CHOP GARLIC

• Garlic is brilliantly versatile and can be used in many different ways.
• The smaller you cut it, the more potent but shorter-lived its flavor, so leave it whole or thickly sliced if you want a mellow backnote, but crush it for more oomph.
• The best way to chop it finely, as instructed above, is to cut it as you would an onion.