Fried Zucchini Blossoms

Irma | mycreativekneads
by Irma | mycreativekneads
10 Blossoms
33 min

Until about 12 years ago, I had no idea that the lovely yellow blossoms that grow on zucchini’s were edible. The first time I saw them in a recipe, I was immediately intrigued, so of course as soon as I spotted them at a farmers market I bought some and went home to make them. I quickly fell in love with this delicate edible blossom.


I’m one of those people who love to know the history of food, where does it come from, how is it prepared and what does it taste like. I soon found out this beautiful blossom was very popular in Italy. They're plucked directly from the zucchini plant and grow very easily. They can be prepared any way but battered and deep fried is most common. If you want to impress others, I guarantee these will be a great topic of conversation not only because of their beauty but especially because of how they taste. They’re a perfect appetizer for any gathering. They don’t have an overly flowery taste as you would expect a flower to have. They have a subtle and delicate hint of squash flavor and their delicate texture gives them a different sense. I can only describe them as magical.


I stuffed these with homemade ricotta, lemon zest, salt and cracked black pepper. The batter is made of flour, salt, cracked pepper, lemon zest, finely chopped parsley, and a 12 oz bottle of a lager beer. It’s truly decadent!


If you decide to make these, be sure to use them as soon as you purchase them because they will wilt very fast. You also want to rinse them gently under cool running water and open up the blossom to ensure there are no insects and to remove the pistil and stem. They process of cleaning and preparing the Blossoms must be gentle to not tear the petals. The extra work is worth it in the end!


Thank you for stopping by.

If you’d like to see more of what I cook and love to do, please visit me at https://www.instagram.com/mycreativekneads/

Alright, let’s get cooking!

Removing the pistil
Ricotta filling
Stuffing the Blossoms
Wrapping the Blossoms
Stuffed and ready for the batter
Frying the Blossoms
Recipe details
  • 10  Blossoms
  • Prep time: 25 Minutes Cook time: 8 Minutes Total time: 33 min
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Ingredients
Cleaning the Blossoms
  • Water
For the ricotta filling
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 1 lemon zest
  • Salt to taste
  • Cracked black pepper to taste
For the batter
  • 3 tbsp fresh finely chopped Italian parsley
  • Salt to taste
  • Cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1.5 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp lemon zest
  • 12 oz lager beer
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Finely chopped Italian parsley & flaky sea salt for garnish.
Instructions
Cleaning the Blossoms
Remove the pistil and stem from the flowers, rinse gently and gently pat dry using paper towel (Open the blossom to make sure there's no dirt or insects inside).
For the ricotta filling
In a bowl add all ingredients for ricotta filling and combine well.
Using a piping bag, fill with the ricotta cheese mixture and pipe up to 3 tablespoons of the ricotta into each blossom or until filled but leave enough room to be able to close the petals securely.
Twist the petals to close securly to ensure the cheese doesn't escape during frying; be gentle with the petals so they don’t tear.
For the batter
Before preparing the batter, add the vegetable oil to the bottom of a heavy skillet and heat the vegetable oil until hot.
In a bowl add all the ingredients except the beer and mix to combine all ingredients.
Slowly add the beer while continuously mixing and stirring ingredients to combine and until there are no lumps of flour.
While holding the blossom from the twisted petal side, gently dip the ricotta filled blossoms into the batter and carefully add to the hot oil. Fry for approximately 4 min or until golden then flip and continue frying for another 4 minutes or until the blossoms are golden and crisp.
Remove from oil, place on paper towels to soak up excess oil then plate and garnish with finely chopped parsley and flaky sea salt (opt). Enjoy!
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