Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
This week’s recipe is how to make my recipe of stuffed zucchini blossoms. They are absolutely beautiful and are found in Italy from late Spring to the end of Summer. We use a smaller zucchini variety here called Zucchini Romane. The female flower grows attached to the zucchini, and the male flower grows along with the vines. Both are used for cooking and are easily found here. If you ever see this in the market please get them and make this recipe!
Once the inner pistil or stamen is removed, you can add the blossoms to omelettes, pasta dishes, risottos, or in this case stuff them. They can be lightly breaded and fried without the filling, but to me, it’s even better with a filling. There are a variety of recipes with various fillings that can include ham, anchovies or just cheese. The one I created is a very refreshing and vibrant recipe that has a combination of cheeses, orange zest and fresh herbs. It’s the perfect snack or start to a meal.
If you give these a try feel free to send me pics or tag me on IG
Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 Zucchini blossoms
125 gms (½ a cup) Ricotta
125 gms Fresh Mozzarella
2 TB of chopped fresh mint, basil and arugula
Zest of half an orange
2 TB grated Grana Padano
Sal to taste
Cracked green peppercorn to taste
60 gms ( cup) 00 or AP flour
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
100 ml (just under ½ a cup) sparkling water
EVOO as needed
Note: To make the batter I add the sparkling water to a bowl, and slowly whisk in the flour so it’s not lumpy. You may or may not end up using all the flour. The important thing is to end up with a loose pancake batter consistency. If the batter sits too long it will thicken. You can always adjust by adding more water to thin it out, or if it’s too watery you can add a little bit of extra flour to reach the right consistency. Once I get the consistency I like I add the baking soda and whisk it in.
Mise en Place
Method:
There are two types of blossoms, the blossom attached to the zucchini is a female and the flowers that are sold separately are the male blossoms With either type you should lightly brush the exterior to remove any dirt and remove the inner stamen or pistil by lightly pulling it out without damaging the blossom too much. If one of the petals tears, not to worry you can press it closed once they are filled. Set the prepped blossoms to the side while you work on the filling.
Female Zucchini Blossom
Remove the fresh mozzarella from the water and blot it dry really well, then chop it as small as possible. Add the chopped fresh mozzarella and the ricotta cheese to a bowl. Add the chopped herbs, orange zest, and grated Grana Padano, then mix really well. Add salt and cracked pepper to taste. I recommend using a piping bag for easier filling, alternatively, you can stuff the blossoms with a little spoon.
Fill the blossoms with the cheese filling carefully. If any of the petals were torn, press it into the filling to help it remain closed.
Prepped Blossoms and Filling
I shallow fry these. The amount of oil will vary depending on how wide your pan is. I pour enough EVOO so that there is a ¼ inch layer to ½ an inch layer of EVOO. Yes, EVOO is safe for frying and has a smoke point of 175C/180C (approximately 350F). You can also deep fry if you have a deep fryer, however, deep-frying is one of those things I personally prefer to eat out instead of making at home. I find it to be a waste of oil for one-time frying since I do not deep fry often, whereas in restaurants they get many uses since of the oil since they serve in volume.
Pour the EVOO in your pan you will use to fry, and heat on medium to high. While the oil is heating I get the batter together as indicated in the note. I add the dry ingredients to sparkling water gradually in batches and whisk quickly. This is the easiest way to mix a batter without any lumps. Let the batter sit for a minute and when the oil is hot you are ready to fry. You can test the oil by adding a sprinkle of flour, and if it’s sizzling it’s ready. Carefully take each blossom and submerge it in the batter, turning to coat both sides. Let any excess batter drip off and place the blossom in the pan. Make sure you don’t overfill the pan with blossoms, they should be in one flat layer with some space around them. Cook each blossom for about 3 minutes per side or until golden, turning once. Remove from the pan when they are golden on both sides and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle lightly with salt and enjoy! I think 4 blossoms are perfect for 2 as the start of a meal or as an aperitivo snack. The recipe can easily be doubled or adjusted for the number of blossoms you are making.
