I remember when I first heard about fried squash blossoms. It was many years ago and my roommate Anita was going on about how fabulous this Italian woman’s fried flowers were in her recent travels. Having no foodie point of reference on them, I thought the concept of eating fried flowers was kind of gross. Boy was I wrong. As my tastebuds became more sophisticated, I see the charm in this beautiful delicacy nature offers up from the Zucchini plant. I love the scene in the movie Eat Pray Love where Julia Roberts character shares a meal of fried squash blossoms while learning Italian from her tutor. They camera zooms into them cutting into the juicy and cheesy fried treat and it looks so delicious.
These days I’m trying to launch my own off premise catering services, and have been having some great success. So while shopping in a restaurant supply depot for supplies to test for an upcoming event , I came across a large clam shell of squash blossoms in the produce section. I knew I wanted to stuff them with a spiced and herbed goat cheese and devour. I worked for a chef who bemoaned the fact that people fried them and preferred them in their raw state. There is a lot you can do with them, but fried is always good.
I am not a huge fryer but lately have been playing around with fried items, as I find they go over well at parties both large and small. I wouldn’t offer up these fried blossoms for a huge event , but say a dinner for no more than ten people as a starter . I find using club soda for me when frying, makes the batter pure perfection and provides a real crunchiness almost like a tempura . My new favorite secret ingredient is a Eastern European spice and vegetable blend you can find throughout Chicago called Vegeta. I throw it in everything from soups to eggs as a great flavor enhancer. Vegeta worked really well in this recipe. So those are my tricks or trucos. Also if you want perfection and less mess, use a piping bag to stuff your flowers. Your work will go quicker.
- For the Stuffing
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 12-18 zucchini flowers ( some may be larger or smaller)
- 6-8 oz of goat cheese depending on amount / size of zucchini flowers
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- a dash of grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons dried or fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons Vegeta * optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- For the Batter
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 4 tablespoons cold club soda
- Olive Pomace Oil to fry
- Batter
- In a small bowl mix , beat the 2 eggs.
- Gradually add the flour to incorporate.
- Then add the cold Club Soda.
- With a wire whisk, mix until batter is smooth and not lumpy.
- Set aside and allow to sit.
- Gently clean your zucchini flowers and remove the stamens inside which cause bitter taste. Be careful as to not soak or wilt your your flower.
- Pat dry any moisture.
- In a bowl mix / cream your cheeses and spices with the 1 beaten egg.Mix completely until you have smooth incorporated mixture that is thick enough to pipe. If mixture is too runny add more goat cheese.
- Place mixture in a piping bag with tip.
- Carefully open and pipe goat cheese mixture into each blossom leaving enough room at the top to twist the ends close.
- Prepare your fry pan or deep fryer with enough oil to fry.
- Wait until oil is ready by dropping a bit of batter and watching to see if it sizzles and bubbles. Heat should be medium high.
- Drop each blossom into the batter and then into the hot oil. Turn after a minute or two to cook the other side. Blossom should be golden and crispy and heat should be high enough but not not too high. Careful in frying and turning as to not loose the cheese stuffing.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a dish lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Sprinkle with salt while hot and serve.
