Fritto Misto

Fritto Misto is one of the symbols of Il Centro, one of the finest expressions of Elide’s talent and a mainstay of traditional Piedmontese cuisine.

The key to the success of our Fritto Misto is the incredible lightness and ease with which it is digested, transforming this “culinary ritual” into an authentic compendium of gastronomic art perfected by experience.

Sweetbreads, brains, calf’s liver, sausage, frisse (a kind of meatball made with mixed pork offal) and batsoà (made with pig’s trotters) are individually coated in breadcrumbs and fried separately in oil and butter. Originally reserved for special occasions, the dish is the example that best illustrates the golden rule that nothing is thrown away in the kitchen.

The birth of Fritto Misto is linked to the archaic moment of slaughter and the ancient art of not wasting anything. Every family used to divide up offal and entrails: kidneys, sweetbreads, testicles, brains, liver (fricassà nèira) and lungs (fricassà bianca). Then pieces of meat, chunks of sausage, slices of loin and black pudding were added. The dish was completed with slices of apple and sweet semolina (polenta dôssa). All meticulously cut into small pieces, cooked and served in a large banquet on the day after the slaughter, which was a day of celebration.

Over the years, each part of Piedmont has developed its own recipes and there are many modern variants, in which the only limit to the use of ingredients is the chef’s intention to stay true to tradition or to make bold digressions.

Then there is the frying technique: the pan must be made of iron, and plenty of boiling hot extra-virgin olive oil must be combined with butter and changed constantly. This is the only way to fry the food perfectly, ensuring that it is golden, tasty and light, presenting a harmony of the individual flavours.

The Fritto Misto should then be served piping hot, directly from the frying pan to the table. This is what happens here at the Il Centro restaurant in Priocca, where it is served (sometimes with a long waiting list) only in the months of January, February and March. However, if you book well in advance you can also enjoy it in other moments during the year.