Gran Piatto di Mare dell Orto

Introduction

Benvenuti! In my Tuscan kitchen, we listen to the seasons and the soil. Today, I have felt a longing for the salt-spray of the Tyrrhenian sea, but as always, our garden provides the bounty. This Gran Piatto di Mare dell Orto is my plant-based answer to the classic seafood fritto misto. We use king oyster mushrooms for their tender, scallop-like bite and baby artichokes for that perfect Mediterranean crunch. It is a dish that honors the sea without taking from it, finished with the golden touch of saffron and our finest local olive oil.

Ingredients

• 3 large King Oyster mushrooms (stalks only, cut into 2cm medallions)
• 1 jar hearts of palm (drained and sliced into rings)
• 6 baby artichokes (trimmed and quartered)
• 2 sheets Nori seaweed (blended into a fine powder)
• 1 cup fine semolina flour
• 500ml high-quality extra virgin olive oil for shallow frying
• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 4 hours)
• 1 generous pinch of saffron threads
• 2 organic lemons (one juiced, one wedged for serving)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
• Fine sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. Begin by scoring the King Oyster mushroom medallions in a shallow diamond pattern on both sides to allow flavors to penetrate.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the semolina flour, the powdered nori seaweed, and a generous pinch of sea salt.
3. For the saffron aioli, blend the soaked cashews with the juice of one lemon, one garlic clove, and the saffron threads (steeped in a tablespoon of warm water for 5 minutes) until completely smooth. Set aside.
4. Lightly dampen the mushroom medallions, hearts of palm rings, and artichoke quarters with a little water or lemon juice, then toss them in the nori-semolina mixture until evenly coated.
5. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet until a pinch of flour sizzles instantly.
6. Fry the vegetables in small batches to maintain the heat. The mushrooms should be golden and tender, the artichokes crisp, and the hearts of palm light and crunchy. This should take about 3-4 minutes per side.
7. Drain the fried vegetables on recycled paper and sprinkle immediately with more sea salt and fresh parsley.
8. Arrange the warm, salty treasures on a large platter with the saffron aioli in the center and lemon wedges on the side.

Serve this platter immediately while the vegetables are still whispering from the heat. It is a dish meant for sharing under the shade of a vine, accompanied by a chilled glass of Vermentino. Simple, honest, and full of the soul of Italy. Buon appetito!

Isabella