The best Italian fried fish comes down to dry fish, hot oil, and a light coat. That's true whether you're frying shrimp and squid for a quick plate or giving salt cod a long soak first. The six dishes here cover that range, from Naples street food to Venetian bar snacks to a Lombard weeknight skillet.
Some are fast. Fritto misto and perch alla milanese are weeknight-friendly. Others need planning, like the baccalà dishes, which start with a 48-hour soak. Capitone and stuffed anchovies take more prep but suit a holiday table or a long lunch.
Pick by how much time you have and how many people you're feeding. Then fry in small batches and serve right away.
Choosing what to make
Start with how much prep you want. Fritto misto di mare and perch alla milanese are the quickest, with the fish going straight into the pan. The anchovies need butterflying and stuffing, and capitone needs a fishmonger's help before you start. Both baccalà dishes depend on a soak of about 48 hours, so plan ahead. Texture differs too. Fritto misto and the anchovies have a flour-based crust, the baccalà dishes use a sparkling water batter, and perch has a buttery breadcrumb coat. For a crowd, the frittelle can be made ahead and freeze well. Capitone's first batch holds in a low oven while the second fries. Fritto misto doesn't hold at all, so time it to the table.
1. Crispy Fritto Misto di Mare, Italian Fried Seafood
This is the classic Italian fried seafood plate: shrimp, squid, and small whole fish dredged in seasoned flour and fried until the coating turns golden and shatters. Naples and the Amalfi coast sell it in paper cones, but it works well in a deep pot at home. Two things decide the result. Pat everything dry before it touches the flour, and keep the oil at 180 C / 350 F so the coating crisps before the seafood overcooks. Fry a handful of pieces at a time, because crowding drops the oil temperature and leaves the crust pale. Choose this when you want a fast, shareable plate, since it's ready in about 30 minutes.
Squeeze lemon over it the moment it leaves the oil, add flaky salt, and bring it to the table right away. It doesn't hold well, so fry last.
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2. Acciughe Ripiene Fritte: Crispy Stuffed Fried Anchovies
Fresh anchovies are butterflied open, sandwiched around a filling of breadcrumbs, pecorino, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and an egg yolk, then dredged in flour and egg and fried to deep gold. It's a coastal antipasto found from Liguria down through Campania, and it makes good use of an inexpensive fish. The butterflying takes a little rhythm, but the rest moves quickly. The filling stays plain on purpose, so the anchovy still tastes like anchovy. Fry in small batches so the oil holds its temperature and the crust stays crisp. Choose this for a starter with a bit of craft in it, ready in about 50 minutes.
Serve straight from the pan with lemon wedges and a cold glass of white wine. Stuff the fish ahead if you like, and fry just before guests sit down.
Get the Acciughe Ripiene Fritte: Crispy Stuffed Fried Anchovies recipe
3. Neapolitan Capitone Fritto: Crisp Fried Eel with Lemon
Capitone fritto is thick pieces of the large female eel, dusted in flour and fried at 170 C / 340 F for 8 to 10 minutes. The skin turns crisp while the flesh stays tender and rich. It's a fixture of the Christmas Eve table in Naples, where it often anchors the cena della vigilia. The work is in the prep. Ask the fishmonger to kill, gut, and cut the eel, then dry the pieces well and fry in two batches so the oil stays hot. A 24 cm / 9.5-inch Dutch oven and an instant-read thermometer are enough equipment. Choose it for a holiday menu or a special occasion.
Keep the first batch warm in a low oven while the second fries. Finish with salt and a squeeze of lemon, and serve it hot.
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4. Crispy Baccalà Fritto: Classic Venetian Fried Salt Cod
This is Venice's fried salt cod: pieces of true baccalà dipped in a cold sparkling water batter and fried until the crust turns deep gold and the fish inside stays flaky and mild. The soak is the real work, about 48 hours for dried salted cod. After that, frying goes quickly. Fry 3 to 4 pieces at a time at 175 C / 347 F, never crowding the pan, and pull each piece when the crust is deep gold, around 3 to 4 minutes. The batter should be thin enough to cling but not so thick that it turns soggy. Choose this for aperitivo, when you want a crisp bite that stays crisp for a while.
Serve hot with lemon wedges and cold white wine, the way it appears in Venetian bacari. Soak the cod ahead so the frying takes minutes.
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5. Frittelle di Baccalà: Crispy Venetian Cod Fritters
Frittelle di baccalà are small mounds of flaked, rehydrated salt cod folded into a light batter and fried until deep gold and puffed. You'll find them at Venetian bacari and Neapolitan street stalls, and on many Italian tables on Christmas Eve. The cod needs 48 hours in cold water, changed 3 to 4 times, to draw out the cure salt. Get the oil to 170 C / 338 F before the first batch goes in, or the batter drinks oil instead of crisping. Sparkling water keeps the crumb lighter. Choose these over the fillets when you want finger food, since cooked fritters freeze well for make-ahead entertaining.
Set out a stack on a warm platter with lemon wedges for passing. Reheat any frozen fritters in the oven so the crust crisps again.
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6. Crispy Pan-Fried Perch Fillets alla Milanese Style
Filetti di persico alla milanese is the fish cousin of cotoletta alla milanese. Perch fillets go through the same three-step breading, then fry in butter until the crumb turns deep gold and the fish stays moist. Perch suits it because the fillets are thin and mild and cook in a few minutes per side. A spoonful of grated parmesan in the crumbs is common in home kitchens, even if it isn't strictly traditional. Add a splash of olive oil to the butter so it doesn't scorch and leave dark flecks. Choose this for a weeknight dinner: one skillet, about 35 minutes, and a mild flavor that works for picky eaters.
Plate it hot with lemon wedges and a plain green salad. No sauce is needed, so the buttery crust stays the focus.
Get the Crispy Pan-Fried Perch Fillets alla Milanese Style recipe
Planning your menu
- Dry every piece of fish with paper towels before flouring or battering. Surface moisture is the main cause of soggy crusts and spitting oil.
- Use a thermometer and fry in small batches. The recipes here range from 170 C / 338 F to 180 C / 350 F, and crowding the pot drops the oil temperature fast.
- Start the baccalà soak two days ahead and change the water 3 to 4 times. Once it's soaked, both baccalà dishes come together quickly.
- Pair one make-ahead dish with one fry-to-order dish. Frittelle freeze well and capitone's first batch holds in a low oven, while fritto misto needs to go straight to the table.
- Keep lemon wedges and flaky salt on the table for every dish. They're the only seasoning most of these need at the end.
For a relaxed aperitivo, serve the frittelle di baccalà and acciughe ripiene together with a cold white wine and plenty of lemon. Make the frittelle first and keep them warm, then fry the anchovies just as guests arrive. If you're cooking a Christmas Eve menu, add capitone fritto and let fritto misto be the quick fry for a smaller weeknight meal.