Deep-fried assorted meat, Piedmont-style

Fritto misto alla piemontese

Deep-fried assorted fried meat Traditional recipe from Piedmont

traditional

deep fried assorted meat piedmont style , fritto misto made with calf's brain and liver, sausage, veal and lamb cutlet, amaretti and sweet semolina — Deep-fried assorted meat, Piedmont style

yeld for 4

200 g (7oz) calf liver
200 g (7oz) veal escalopes
200 g(7oz) calf brain and bone marrow
4 lamb cutlets
8 macaroons
100 g (3 1/2oz) fresh sausage
3 eggs
150 g (5 1/2oz) all purpose flour
200 g (7oz) plain bread crumbs
120 g (4 1/3oz) durum-wheat semolina
2 tablespoons sugar
Olive oil for frying
Salt

Time:
preparation: 40 minute
plus time for brain and bone marrow
cooking: 30 minutes
total: 70 minutes
Difficulty:
long recipe of medium difficulty
Nutrition Facts (amount per serving):
Calories: n.v. (kCal) - n.v. (kJ)
Protein: n.v. (g)
Total fat: n.v. (g)
Total carbohydrate: n.v. (g)
Sugars: n.v. (g)

Fritto misto (deep-fried assorted meat combined with deep-fried semolina and macaroons) is a typical recipe from Piedmont.
It's a recipe rich in fat and calories but it tastes fantastic!
It's a long-to-do recipe.

Calf brain and bone marrow. You need to plunge both the interiors in cold water for about an hour. Then you have to remove the thin peel and the veins from the brain and the thin peel from the bone marrow. Put the bone marrow in a little saucepan. Cover with cold, salted water and bring to the boil. As soon as the water is boiling switch off the gas and remove the bone marrow with a skimming ladle. Put ii in a plate.
Bring to the boil some salted water in another little suacepan, plunge the brain and when the water is boiling again switch off the gas. Remove the brain with a skimming ladle and put apart
Pat dry the brain and bone marrow with absorbent kitchen paper, cut both into pieces (look at the photo for more detail).
Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Dip the brain and bone marrow pieces first into the flour, then into the beaten eggs and at last into the dry breadcrums. Put all these pieces apart.

Make the semolina. Meanwhile prepare the semolina. Put 250 ml (8 fl oz - 1C) of cold water in a little saucepan. Add the durum-wheat semolina together with the sugar. Let them boil on low heat, stirring continuously until they thicken. Put the semolina in a large deep plate. Level the surface with a spoon and let it cool. You have to cut it into rhombs so be careful to its thickness. It must be neither too thin, nor too high.

The other meats. Beat the lamb cutlets and incise the skin that surrounds the meat or remove it completely. Dip the lamb cutlets first into the flour, then into the beaten eggs and at last into the dry breadcrums. Put the cutlets apart.
Cut the liver and veal escalopes into pieces. Dip these pieces first into the flour, then into the beaten eggs and at last into the dry breadcrums. Put all these pieces apart.
Cut the sausage into four or more pieces. Dip them first into the flour, then into the beaten eggs and at last into the dry breadcrums. Put all these pieces apart.

Look at the photo for more details about the size of all the pieces.

Macaroons and semolina. Dip the macaroons first into the flour, then into the beaten eggs and at last into the dry breadcrums. Put the macaroons apart.
Cut the semolina into rhombs and make the same steps we've just described for macaroons. Put the semolina pieces apart.

Deep-frying all the pieces. It's the last step and you have to fry just before serving the dish.
You need three non-stick frying pans.
Fry the sausage in the smallest pan.
Another little non-stick frying pan is necessary to fry the macaroons and semolina pieces. Begin with the macaroons but be careful with frying time: only few seconds for every side are necessary.
In the third pan fry the meat. Begin with the lamb cutlets, then fry the veal and calf pieces and at last brain and bone marrow pieces.
Arrange all the fried pieces on serving trays on which you have put absorbent kitchen paper to remove the fat in excess.

Now you can season to taste with salt.
Serve immediately with lemon juice or lemon slices.

Note

- If you have no time to prepare the semolina, you can buy ready made sweet semolina.
- Be careful the veal cutlets aren't too thick. If they are too thick you can't cook them very well.
- Carlo and I have only dipped the sausage pieces into all purpose flour and didn't dip them in beaten eggs and plain dried breadcrumbs as we like more them in this way.

Healthy eating

- It is impossible to have the nutrition facts for some reasons. At first we can't know what is the right amount of all purpose flour and plain dried breadcrumbs used. These amounts can vary very much. The second problem is about the olive oil that is exactly used. Generally 100-200 kCal per 100 g of fried food are added but in this case the situation is complicated by the double breadcrumb coating. So you read n.v. (not valuable) in nutrition facts.
- We remember you the deep-frying isn't an healthy cooking technique. You have to deep-fry very seldom.
At least choose the right oil. The best oil is olive oil or, as second choice, peanut oil.
- Assorted deep-fried meat, Piedmontese-style is a dish very rich in fat and calories. Make it seldom and accompany it with a lot of raw vegetables to have the right amount of fibers.

What's the right wine for " Fritto misto alla piemontese " ?

Our suggestion is: Freisa d'Asti or Grignolino d'Asti (both are red wines of Piedmont-Italy)