This is a Summer treat I wait for each year. Zucchini blossoms!!! We are so lucky because my in laws grow zucchini in their garden and we get to reap the benefits! Many people may not even realize that they are growing these little treasures in the yard when they are growing zucchini and yellow squash in the summer. But do NOT throw these gems out… eat them! You will love them!
You can do so many things with these little flowers. They are so versatile and delicious. In the recipe below I have stuffed and fried them and serve them with a simple marinara. I used a light beer batter for these, but you can also use an egg and cheese batter to fry them and they are just as wonderful. You can use these in frittata, pastas, even soups. So have fun, experiment, figure out how you like them best. But do not miss out on these little yummy flowers; They are one of the best parts of Summer.
Here is how I made them and our favorite way to enjoy them at my house.
Here are the little gems after they are picked and cleaned off. Making sure there is no dirt or bugs in them and pull out the stamens. Now you are ready to stuff them. You don’t have to stuff them, but it adds so much flavor. I used fresh mozzarella and prosciutto crudo to stuff these.
You just need to cut the bottom stem off, but leave about 1/4-1/2 inch remaining to help you have a little handle when stuffing and frying them. Then cut your fresh mozzarella into small cubes and cut stripes of your prosciutto. Carefully and gently open the top of the flower and place one piece of cheese and one piece of prosciutto inside of each flower. Then lightly twist the ends of the flower to help secure the filling.
I made these once for a Michelle Bernstein demo at work and we piped a lemon ricotta filling into the flowers and then lightly twisted the top and the filling did not come out. So, they are more durable than they look, however, you do need to make sure you work carefully as not to rip the sides and expose the filling.
This is what they look like once they are stuffed. As you can see they vary in size. This is no problem, I just recommend that when you fry them you fry like sizes at the same time to keep cook times consistent.
Next you will make your desired batter. I used a light beer batter here that is so easy. It is simply flour, beer and kosher salt. You can also do a tempura batter or a pastella batter, which is an Italian style egg and cheese batter. If you want you can switch out the beer in this recipe for club soda if you don’t do alcohol. You will get the exact same result.
I usually use whatever I have in the house. It is usually Peroni at my house. Yet club soda works great too. As you can see from the above photos, the batter should be smooth and not too thick. The batter should just coat the stuffed flower, but also sort of show it peaking through. This will ensure that nothing will explode out of your flowers while cooking. This also helps make sure you will not get a “breaded” feel on your finished product. You just want a nice, light, crispy crunch on the outside.
You can fry these in any oil you prefer. For frying I like to use Butcher Boy vegetable oil. You get a clean taste and not an oily taste. But whatever oil you decide on, make sure it is hot. We are looking for 350 degree oil to fry to the perfect temperature. This will ensure your product gets cooked on the outside and the inside by the time it is ready and that the flowers are not in the oil too long. If your oil is not hot enough the flowers will soak up too much oil and taste very greasy. Also, do not crowd your pan. Make sure you work in batches so that you can get a nice color on each one without steaming them. If you over fill the pan you will steam instead of fry an get a soggy product.
You will want to remove them from the oil when they are lightly, golden brown. You should not need to salt them when you remove them from the oil as there is salt in the batter. Always remove fried foods onto a paper towel lined plate or baking sheet.
You can serve these by themselves or I like to serve them with a simple, homemade marinara sauce. You can serve these warm or at room temperature and they are delicious no matter what way you serve them. Enjoy! Let me know how you eat your zucchini flowers!
Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounce chilled Pilsner lagerstyle beer, or club soda
- Zucchini blossoms stamens and stems removed; about 1 dozen
- 4 very thin slices prosciutto cut into 3 strips each
- 3 pieces fresh mozzarella I use homemade bocconcini cut into 4 pieces
Instructions
- In a medium pot, heat about 2" oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°.
- Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl, then whisk in beer or club soda until almost smooth (some small lumps are welcome—don't overwhisk or you'll deflate the batter).
- Stuff each blossom with one piece of the fresh mozzarella and one strip of the prosciutto. Lightly twist the top of each flower to "close" it and make sure the filling does not come out
- One by one, dredge the blossoms in batter, shaking off the excess
- Gently lay them in the oil, without crowding the pan. Cook, flipping once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes total. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve with marinara sauce or by themselves
Notes
