Fried zucchini blossoms – the quintessential Italian summer appetizer
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These delicate, golden flowers are often served as an antipasto (appetizer) or during aperitivo (aperitif). And true to Italian culinary tradition, they are as simple to prepare as they are delicious.
What sets this Italian delicacy apart is the unexpected hint of umami flavor given by the anchovies nestled within the filling. Looking for a vegetarian twist? Try a replacing the anchovies with a couple of chopped olives or sundried tomatoes!
Fried zucchini blossoms (Fiori di zucca fritti)
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Appetizers
Cuisine
Italian
Servings
6 - 8
Ingredients
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20 zucchini blossoms
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1 cup / 200 g of ricotta cheese
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10 oil-packed anchovy fillets
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Light olive oil for frying (see notes)
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1 cup / 125 gr of all-purpose flour
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2 large eggs
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7/8 cup / 200 gr of light beer (see notes)
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2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
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salt
For the batter:
Instructions
Start with the batter, as it’ll need to rest for a bit.
In a bowl, combine two egg yolks (reserving the egg whites), oil, and two tablespoons of beer with sifted flour.Whisk the mixture, gradually adding the remaining beer and a pinch of salt.
Work the batter until smooth and free of lumps. Then cover the bowl with cling film and let it rest in a warm place for two hours.
After two hours, whip an egg white and gently fold it into the batter.
Now it’s time to prepare the zucchini flowers. Carefully remove the internal pistil from each zucchini flower, trying to keep the flowers intact. Wash the flowers gently, and leave them to dry on a clean kitchen cloth.
Cut the anchovy filets in half and fill each zucchini flower with half of an anchovy.
In a bowl, season the ricotta with salt and pepper, and mix well until smooth and free of lump. Fill each flower with the seasoned ricotta about 2/3 of the way - you can do this with a spoon, but a piping bag will make the job faster and less messy!
Gently twist the tips of the petals to enclose the filling.
Heat a Chef Pan or Braiser with plenty of oil until it reaches frying temperature (approx 350F or 170C)
Dip one stuffed flower at a time into the batter, ensuring it's well-coated, then carefully drop it into the hot oil.
Fry a few flowers at a time until golden, turning them occasionally for even cooking. It’ll only take a couple of minutes!
Use a spider skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer the fried flowers to absorbent paper to drain excess oil.
Keep the fried flowers warm as you fry all the batches, then serve immediately.
Recipe note
If you are short on time or prefer to avoid beer, you can skip steps 1-4 and instead make a light, tempura-like batter by lightly whisking 1.5cups (200gr) of flour, a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt with 1 cup (250gr) of ice-cold sparkling water - then proceed to step 5 as normal.
Light olive oil is commonly used for deep frying in Italy, and will impart a lovely flavor to your zucchini flowers. However, the recipe will work with any seed or vegetable oil, so feel free to use your favorite oil for frying!
In the Ruffoni family, we prefer a delicate ricotta filling that perfectly complements the umami of anchovies. If you'd like your fior di zucca extra cheesy, you can use fresh mozzarella instead of ricotta cheese. Both options are popular in Italy!
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