Anglesey salt and pepper fritto misto

After more than two decades of making award-winning sea salt, we are very proud to say that we are publishing a collection of recipes that showcase this often misunderstood and misused ingredient. 

Written by the family behind Halen Môn, alongside the very talented Anna Shepherd, and shot on location on the isle of Anglesey by the brilliant @liznmax, this book shows how sea salt can transform your cooking.

Brine, cure and pickle your way through this book, learning to use salt in new ways to make everyday food more vibrant and flavourful. From a sophisticated fennel and almond lasagne to toasted milk cookies, delicate salt marsh lamb to black pepper brined corn, this book brings new techniques and a breath of fresh inspiration to your kitchen.

We are very excited to share the first recipe from the book. In the midst of a very windy week on the salty isle, all we want to eat is food that reminds us of sunnier times. Enter: fritto misto. 

This is holiday food. The best fritto misto we can remember was in Italy – sugar paper cones filled with an array of tender green veg and seafood, sprinkled with coarse sea salt and washed down with very cold beers. Depending on the season, you can mix up the veg according to your favourites – we like asparagus in late spring/early summer; courgettes in late summer, thinly sliced squash in autumn, and trimmed purple sprouting broccolli in winter. 

RECIPE + IMAGE: Taken from Sea Salt, published by White Lion, available for pre-order here now.

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Preheat the oven to 120°C/100°C fan/250°F/Gas 1. Line a large baking sheet with kitchen paper and sit a wire rack on top of it to drain the cooked pieces.
Pour the oil for deep-frying into a large saucepan, so that it comes 4cm/11⁄2in up the sides. Clip a sugar thermometer to the side of the pan and heat the oil over a medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, mix both flours, the semolina, baking powder, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Whisk the egg whites in another bowl until thick, bright white and frothy but before they start to form soft peaks. Set aside.

Pour the sparkling water into the flour mixture and whisk to combine, then fold through the whisked egg whites until the mixture is smooth.

When the oil reaches 180°C/350°F on the thermometer, drop a handful of fish, vegetables and seaweed into the batter, allowing any excess batter to drip back into the bowl. Carefully lower the coated pieces into the hot oil immediately, using a clean slotted spoon to separate the pieces to prevent clumping. Deep-fry for 4–5 minutes, turning the pieces once until crisp and golden on both sides. Lift the pieces with the slotted spoon onto the prepared wire rack and immediately sprinkle with flaked sea salt.

Allow the oil to come back up to temperature before repeating with the remaining vegetables, fish and batter, transferring the batches to the wire rack to drain as you go and seasoning with salt while they are hot. Keep the cooked pieces warm in the oven with the door slightly ajar while you cook the rest (this will prevent the batter going soggy).

Serve on a platter with the lemon wedges. Grind over some more black pepper and eat with friends and plenty of paper napkins.

RECIPE + IMAGE: Taken from Sea Salt , available for pre-order now

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