Fritto Misto alla Piemontese
Europe — Italy (Piedmont)
Piedmont's elaborate mixed-fry tradition. Multiple cuts including sweetbreads, brain, and liver breaded and fried together. One of Italy's most distinctive multi-organ preparations.
Cuts in this tradition
Cultural context
Fritto misto alla piemontese is one of Italy's most elaborate regional dishes — a festive mixed fry that historically incorporated as many as 20 different components including organ meats, vegetables, and sweet items. Sweetbreads and brain are the most important offal components. The dish represents the apex of northern Italian whole-animal frying traditions.
Preparation
Each component prepared separately. Sweetbreads soaked, blanched, and trimmed. Brain soaked and poached. Liver sliced. All coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried in clarified butter or lard until golden. Served immediately on a large platter with lemon.