Fritto ‘Misto’
Cut one or two young green pumpkins in thin slices about as long as a finger and half as wide, and lay them on a plate with a little salt. Mix three ounces of butter and three tablespoonfuls of flour in a sauce-pan and boil for two minutes, add half a tumbler of cream, half a tumbler of chicken broth, and boil till it is a stiff Béchamel. Then mince three breasts of cooked chicken, two slices of tongue, and one small truffle, mix with the Béchamel and roll into small balls, then dip into egg and grated bread and put aside till wanted. Take ten or twelve pumpkin flowers, some young artichokes properly prepared and cut into quarters (if not quite young and tender they must be boiled first), some cauliflower and bits of cardoon, dip them in egg and dust them with flour. Do the same to some parboiled calves’ brains, flour the slices of pumpkin, and fry all together in pure olive oil. Use dripping or lard for frying if you have not got good oil. Season with a sprinkling of salt. Serve very hot.