Fritto Misto alla Romana

Ingredients

• For the suppli al telefono
• 300 g cooked risotto rice, cooled completely
• 100 g fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
• 2 eggs, beaten, for egg wash
• 100 g fine dried breadcrumbs
• For the artichoke hearts
• 4 artichoke hearts, trimmed, halved
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 60 g plain flour
• For the zucchini flowers
• 8 zucchini flowers, stamens removed, kept whole
• 120 g ricotta
• 4 anchovy fillets in oil, drained, finely chopped
• 120 g plain flour, for batter
• 180 ml cold water, for batter
• For the semolina crocchetti
• 250 g cooked semolina, set firm, cut into small rectangles
• 2 eggs, beaten, for egg wash
• 100 g fine dried breadcrumbs
• For the lamb brains
• 300 g lamb brains, soaked, membrane removed, cut into portions
• 60 g plain flour, for dusting only
• For frying
• 1.5 l sunflower oil, for delicate items; may be blended with a measure of olive oil for richer items
• To finish
• fine sea salt, applied at service only, never before

Method

1. 1
   Mix the ricotta and chopped anchovy until evenly combined. Spoon a small amount into each zucchini flower, then twist the tip of the petals closed to seal the filling inside. Make a thin batter from flour and cold water, whisked to a smooth, pourable consistency. Dip each stuffed flower in batter and hold briefly over the bowl to let the excess fall away — the batter should coat thinly and evenly with no bare patches.
2. 2
   Form the suppli: enclose a cube of mozzarella at the centre of a portion of cooled rice, shaping firmly into an oval. Pass each suppli through beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumb adheres without gaps. Repeat for the semolina crocchetti. Dust the lamb brain portions lightly in flour only — no egg, no crumb — shaking off all excess. Set all prepared components on a rack over a tray, separated by type.
3. 3
   Heat the oil in a deep, heavy vessel to 170°C, confirmed by thermometer. This is the step on which the entire dish lives or dies: oil below this temperature causes absorption and a greasy, softened result; oil above 175°C burns delicate coatings before the interior is cooked. The range 170–175°C must be maintained throughout the service, adjusting the heat between batches as necessary.
4. 4
   Fry the zucchini flowers first, in a single uncrowded layer, at 170°C. They are done when the batter is pale gold and set — they will colour quickly; do not wait for deep colour. Remove immediately to a rack over a tray. Never use paper. Fry the brain portions next at 170°C; they are done when the flour crust is golden and the exterior is firm to a light press.
5. 5
   Raise the oil to 175°C. Fry the artichoke hearts in batches — no more than will fit without crowding — until the egg-and-flour batter is deep gold and the hearts yield when pressed lightly with a slotted spoon. Remove to the rack.
6. 6
   Fry the suppli and crocchetti at 175°C, again in uncrowded batches. The suppli are done when the breadcrumb crust is uniformly deep amber and the croquette feels rigid when lifted. Pull one open immediately on the rack: the mozzarella inside must string in long filaments between the two halves — the telephone wires that define suppli al telefono. If the cheese does not string, the interior is insufficiently hot; adjust timing for subsequent batches.
7. 7
   Salt all components at the moment of plating, never before. Arrange the full composition on a warm serving platter and carry immediately to the table. Fritto misto deteriorates within five minutes of leaving the oil; service admits no delay.