Stuffed Zucchini Flowers
Stuffed Zucchini Flowers
YIELD: 12-16 flowers
TIME: 45 minutes
Ingredients
12-16 zucchini flowers
475g traditional ricotta cheese
1 egg
8 anchovies, chopped
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
handful of basil, chopped
handful of mint, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of sparkling water
1/2 cup of flour or rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
oil for frying (I prefer grape seed oil)
Preparation
Step 1:
In a bowl whisk sparkling water, flour, cornstarch and a pinch of salt until there are no lumps. Set aside.
Step 2:
For the stuffing: Mix together ricotta, parmesan, basil, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, anchovies, egg, salt and pepper. Transfer to a pipping bag. If you don’t have one you can always use a small spoon to stuff your flowers. Note to vegetarians and vegans: you can substitute the anchovies for 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast and replace the traditional ricotta cheese for cashew cheese. Also omit the egg if you're vegan.
Step 3:
Prep the flowers. Remove the stamen inside the flower by pinching it off. It has a bitter taste so we want to remove it.
Step 4:
Stuff the flowers half way and twist the petals to close them. Don’t worry if you have any tears in the flowers. The batter will help keep things intact.
Step 5:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan on high. Pour enough oil in the pan so that it coats 1/8 of the sides. I recommend using grape seed oil because it has a high smoke point (resistance to heat) which means you avoid harmful free radicals. You can also use avocado oil, canola oil, sunflower oil or peanut oil. To check and see if your oil is ready, drop a little bit of batter to see if it sizzles. If it does you know your oil is ready for frying.
Step 6:
Dip the flowers in the batter, lightly shaking them to remove any excess and gently place them in the pan. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Place them on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Reduce the heat to medium and repeat the process for the second batch. I recommend not over crowding the pan so 6 would be the max at a time. Serve immediately. Tip: I like to serve them either in a pasta or you can serve them with a dip such as a tomato sauce. Simple and fresh. Buon Appetito!
