Fritto Misto of Grapes, Fennel, and Lemons with Lemon Crème Fraîche
Yield
8
PortionsYes, you can fry grapes! They make a compelling contrast of crisp and juicy in this vegetarian fritto misto. Chef Samuel found that the key to achieving the perfect texture was to freeze the grapes before coating them in batter and frying them.
Ingredients
1 lb Red grapes, cut into small bunches and frozen
½ cup Rice flour for dredging
1 ea Fennel bulb, cored, trimmed, and cut into wedges
1 ea Lemon, sliced paper thin
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Vegetable oil, for frying
FRITTO MISTO BATTER3 cups Cake flour
¾ cup Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Baking soda
2 Tbsp Salt
as needed Sparkling water, coldas needed
LEMON CRÈME FRAÎCHE1 cup Crème fraîche
1 ea Lemon, zest and juice of
¼ tsp Fennel seed, ground
½ tsp Kosher salt
Directions
- Prepare the grapes, fennel, and lemon for frying.
- For the fritto misto batter: Combine dry ingredients. Whisk in cold sparkling water to desired consistency.
- For the lemon crème fraîche: Combine the crème fraîche, lemon juice and zest, ground fennel seed, and salt; mix to incorporate.
- To fry and assemble: Preheat the fryer to 375°F. Remove the grapes from the freezer and dip into the bowl of rice flour; toss to coat evenly and then knock off the excess. Dip the grape bunches into the batter and then lower into the fryer, holding them by the stem with a pair of tongs; fry until crisp and golden, then drain on paper towels. Remove any loose pieces of batter from the oil. Repeat with the vegetable pieces and drain.
- Place on a large plate, season with salt and pepper, and squeeze some lemon juice over the top. Serve immediately with lemon crème fraîche on the side.
