BROCCOLI FRITTO MISTO

Broccoli Fritto Misto image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Time 40m

Number Of Ingredients 13

Vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 1/2 quarts)
10 whole pepperoncini peppers, plus 1/4 cup brine (from a 15-ounce jar)
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced (1 tablespoon)
Kosher salt
1 1/4 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup club soda or seltzer water, plus more as needed
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 bunch Broccolini, ends trimmed, separated into long florets
1 small head broccoli (4 ounces), stems peeled, cut into long florets
10 fresh sage leaves or small sprigs

Steps:

Fill a large, deep, heavy pot with enough oil to come up 2 inches from bottom of pot. Place over medium heat; clip a deep-fry thermometer to pot and heat oil to 350°.
Cut a slit in the side of each pepperoncini; squeeze out excess liquid and pat very dry. Stir together pepperoncini brine, vinegar, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to make the dipping sauce; set aside.
Whisk together 1 cup rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in 1 cup club soda and wine. (Batter should have the texture of thin honey.) Add remaining 1/4 cup rice flour to a shallow bowl.
Preheat oven to 200°. Working with a few pieces at a time to avoid crowding, toss Broccolini in rice flour, then dip in batter, turning to coat. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer to pot and fry until crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer Broccolini to a wire rack set over a baking sheet; season with salt. Place baking sheet in oven to keep warm.
Thin batter with more club soda until it has the consistency of heavy cream (about 2 tablespoons). This will prevent thick clumps of batter from forming in the florets. Repeat batter and frying instructions in step four with broccoli, followed by pepperoncini and sage. Serve right away or keep in oven up to 1 hour. Serve with reserved dipping sauce.