Fritto di pollo e zucchini

With

Silvia Colloca

Italian fritto misto of chicken and zucchini in a sparkling-water batter. Tempura-light crust.

PREP

MINS

Cook

MINS

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About this recipe

Silvia Colloca's chicken breast and zucchini dipped in a chilled sparkling-water batter and fried until the coating crisps like tempura. Lemon zest cuts the richness. Italian fritto misto, household-scaled, eaten straight from the paper.

The sparkling-water batter is the chef's-trick technique borrowed from Japanese tempura cooking. The carbonation creates micro-bubbles in the batter that expand in the hot oil and produce an airy, lacy crust; ice-cold water keeps the gluten development to a minimum so the batter stays light rather than turning bready. Together, the two techniques give a fried coating that crackles rather than absorbs oil.

The two-component approach (chicken and zucchini) is the Italian fritto misto pattern (literally mixed fry) brought home from the restaurant. The defining feature of a proper fritto misto is variety: different proteins and vegetables fried together so each piece tastes distinct, the crispy coating common across all of them. The household version reduces the variety to two or three ingredients for simplicity without losing the structural intent.

Lemon zest in the batter is the small Italian household lift. The zest's volatile citrus oils cook into the batter and add a faint perfume that cuts through the richness of the fried oil. Lemon wedges served alongside for squeezing over the hot pieces. Sea salt scattered on the moment the pieces come out of the oil so it sticks to the surface. Eat standing up at the bench, with the next batch going into the oil. A cold beer alongside, or a glass of cold Vermentino.

Ingredients

- 4 Hazeledenes – Chicken Breast fillets (about 150-200g each)

- 2 medium zucchini

- 300g all-purpose flour (for coating)

- 300ml Ferrarella – Sparkling Water (chilled)

- Lemon zest

- 1 large egg

- 1 tsp salt (for the batter)

- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

- Zest of 1 lemon

- Vegetable oil for frying (enough for deep frying)

- Lemon wedges, for serving

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the sparkling water, egg, flour, lemon zest, salt, and a pinch of black pepper until smooth. The batter should be thick but not too dense, resembling the consistency of a loose pancake batter.

2. In a deep pan or deep fryer, heat up your oil to 180°C (350°F). The oil should be deep enough to submerge the chicken and zucchini.

3. While the oil is coming up to temperature, slice the zucchini into sticks, about 5mm thick.

4. Start with the Zucchini so as not to cross contaminate with the chicken. Dip the zucchini sticks into the batter and fry in batches for about 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain them on a paper towel.

5. Now the chicken, cut the chicken breasts into 5cm nuggets and dip them into the batter and fry in batches for for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy. Avoid overcrowding the pan to ensure an even fry.

6. Remove the chicken from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

7. Arrange the fried chicken and zucchini on a serving platter, scatter lemon wedges around it and serve

Silvia Colloca

Silvia Colloca is a Roman-born cook, opera singer and cookbook author who has spent the last decade documenting the regional cooking of Italy from her home in Sydney. She fronts Silvia’s Masterclass, working through the country one mother-recipe at a time. Her style is patient: fresh pasta by hand, long-rise focaccia, sauces built slow.