The Garden & Saucier
Veggie Fritto Misto with Blue Cheese Drizzle and Hot Sauce
The Strategy:
Using club soda in the batter is the secret to achieving a light, airy, and exceptionally crispy crust on these fried vegetables. Whicking together a creamy blue cheese sauce and a warm garlic hot sauce provides the perfect tangy and spicy contrast to the fried florets. Fry the cauliflower, fennel, and green beans in batches to ensure they stay wonderfully crispy and golden.
Ingredients
Blue Cheese Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled, about ¼ cup
- Juice of ½ medium lemon, about 1 tablespoon
- 2 (or more) tablespoons half-and-half
Hot Sauce
- ½ cup butter, 1 stick
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
- ½ cup hot pepper sauce
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Veggies
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups club soda, cold
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
- 2 fennel bulbs, tops trimmed, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved, about 1 ½ cups
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Sauces
- Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese and lemon juice in a small bowl.
- Add enough half-and-half to thin the sauce so that it will easily flow through a squeeze bottle.
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large skillet.
- Stir in the garlic, hot pepper sauce and vinegar.
- Simmer the hot sauce on low heat while you prepare the veggies.
Batter & Frying
- Pour vegetable oil about a third of the way up the side of a deep pot.
- Heat the oil to 350°. You can use a candy thermometer to monitor the heat of the oil. Remember not to pour too much oil in the pot as it bubbles up quite a lot once you begin to fry the veggies.
- Whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl.
- Stir in the club soda.
- Dip a cauliflower floret into the batter.
- Shake off the excess so that it drips back into the bowl. Use a wire skimmer basket to transfer the veggie into the oil. Repeat with the remaining florets. Do not overcrowd the pot.
- Fry until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the fried cauliflower florets to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Season with additional salt and pepper. Keep the fried cauliflower warm in a warming drawer or oven set on the lowest temperature, while you fry the fennel and green beans. Drop just a couple strips at a time, so that they don't clump together. When all the veggies are fried, transfer them to a large platter.
- Drizzle some of the blue cheese sauce over the top.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.
- Serve the hot sauce in a bowl on the side for dipping.
The Heart of the Table
This fritto misto is a mountain of crispy, golden fun that brings a lively, pub-style comfort to the dining table. Passing the platter around and drizzling the creamy blue cheese sauce creates an interactive, communal dining experience that is all about sharing and indulgence.
The Art of the Host
- a hand-turned, wide-rimmed salad bowl crafted from solid cherrywood
- a set of matte-finished ceramic salad plates chilled beforehand
- a set of minimalist, mouth-blown crystal coupe glasses with slender stems
- a professional Hawthorne strainer with a tight-coil spring
- a set of heavy-gauge, satin-finished stainless steel mixing bowls
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Pile the crispy vegetables high on a large wooden board, drizzling the white blue cheese sauce over them in a zigzag pattern and serving the hot sauce on the side.
- THE POUR: A crisp, dry cider or a cold craft beer, or a refreshing ginger beer over ice.
- THE VIBE: Sun-Drenched Deck. A relaxed weekend afternoon vibe sets in as everyone gathers around the crispy, dipping-friendly platter.