Pescaíto Frito

Ingredients

• 1 pound small whole fish (such as anchovies or smelts), cleaned
• 1/2 pound squid, cut into rings
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fine semolina flour
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cups olive oil, for frying
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 lemon, juiced, for soaking fish
• 1 cup milk, for soaking fish

Method

1. 1

   Place the cleaned small fish and squid rings in a bowl, cover with the milk, and let soak for 15 minutes to firm the flesh and mellow any fishy flavor.

   15:00 · Soak seafood
2. 2

   In a wide shallow dish, whisk together the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, salt, and pepper.

3. 3

   Drain the fish and squid from the milk, letting excess drip off, then dredge each piece thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking off any excess.

4. 4

   Pour the olive oil into a deep skillet or stock pot to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F.

   10:00 · Heat oil to 350°F
5. 5

   Fry the fish in batches of 8 to 10 pieces, without crowding the pan, until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per batch.

   2:00 · Fry fish batch
6. 6

   Remove fried fish with a slotted spoon or spider and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

7. 7

   Fry the squid rings in batches until lightly golden and just cooked through, about 90 seconds per batch.

   1:30 · Fry squid batch
8. 8

   Transfer the fried squid to the paper towel-lined plate to drain alongside the fish.

9. 9

   Season the hot fried seafood immediately with a pinch of additional salt and serve at once with lemon wedges.