Waiting for Holidays…Cooking Classes in Tuscany in Palaia. A basic one: #Fried Fish (Fritto Misto di Pesce) Tuscan Style!

I’m waiting for holidays, (relaxing break for many people and work for me), and is very strong the desire to be in Summer close to the seaside…

While waiting for Spring

Immersed in these thoughts, today I’d like to introduce you a basic Tuscan cooking class: Il Fritto Misto di Pesce (The Mixed Fried Fish Tuscan Style).

Partly because of the rain, the Cold winter has not felt right and now, indeed, there is a pale sun out there that warms the heart and finishes dry all my beloved plants. Yes, because a few days ago, taken from the frenzy of finally enjoy a little ‘sun, I bought some strawberry seedling creepers, some hyacinths, two or three narcissi, and I planted them.

But that’s not all, I have “stole” out from a vase from a Japanese restaurant a twig with buds, that is a beautiful mottled pink and white camellia.  Yes, I admit it: I am a thief of twigs from cuttings.

My way to plant

When I got home, in fact, I crushed the bottom of the spring with a hammer, well, well. Then I planted it in a beautiful vase with fresh potting soil and I watered it with water and a lotion that speeds up the rooting of plants.

And now let’s aspect this wonderful plant takes root, waiting for holidays, under the incredulous eyes of all who tell me that it’s impossible … we’ll see … if I’ll be able I’ll post a picture!  

Then, from the woods behind my house, I “stole” a sprig of Rosa Canina, one of the oldest and most delicate exemplary of rose … needless to say, I treated it in the same way as camellia … we’ll see again. 

In short, all this to tell you that a “meteropatica” like me, is looking forward to the spring, with its colors and perfumes, with a desire to work outdoors, but especially with a warm sun that if you just stand still a few minutes, warms your whole body, pleasantly. 

In this climate of expectation, I’m really waiting for holidays and I can’t think to the amazing fried fish that we usually eat here in Tuscany, on Summer…maybe in front of the seaside a with a glass of white wine. Here’s the recipe for Frittura di Pesce (Italian for fisherman fried fish) here in Tuscany: The Tuscan Mixed Fried Fish.
I just talk about mouth watering and I’ll almost make it again, tomorrow …

Fried Fish and Veg

Mixed Fried Fish

Prep time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes to rest
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 600g small Tuscan fish (hake, red mullet, sole, anchovies …
• 200g squids
• 200g shrimps
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 0,75l.peanut oil
• 2 or 3 pinch salt

Cooking Directions

1. Clean the: fish removing the entrails from larger ones and rinse under water.
2. the shrimp: remove the head, the shell, the black intestine strand and rinse them.
3. the squid: take out the central bone, eyes, and hard spout, take the tentacles and cut them in two parts. Rinse them
4. Cut the squid into rings about 1,5 cm wide
5. Put everything to drain, wrapped in a cotton cloth in a colander, for about 30 minutes
6. Pour the oil in a large frying pan and put the pan on the fire
7. In the meantime, put small fish in a plastic bag, add half of the flour and shake well the bag so that the fish is evenly floured.
8. Pour the floured fish in the pan and fry it in the hot oil 5 minutes around; drain on a kitchen paper.
9. While fish’s frying put the squid and shrimps in the plastic bag together with the rest of the flour and follow the same method as before.
10. Add salt just immediately before to bring to the table…it’ll be more crispy

Salva