Fried squash blossoms – the quintessential Italian summer appetizer

Instructions

1. 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.

2. Whisk the mixture, gradually adding the remaining beer and a pinch of salt.

3. 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.

4. After two hours, whip an egg white and gently fold it into the batter.

5. 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.

6. Cut the anchovy filets in half and fill each zucchini flower with half of an anchovy.

7. In a bowl, season the ricotta with salt and pepper, and mix well until smooth and free of lumps. 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!

8. Gently twist the tips of the petals to enclose the filling.

9. Heat a Chef Pan or Braiser with plenty of oil until it reaches frying temperature (approx 350F or 170C)

10. Dip one stuffed flower at a time into the batter, ensuring it's well-coated, then carefully drop it into the hot oil.

11. Fry a few flowers at a time until golden, turning them occasionally for even cooking. It’ll only take a couple of minutes!

12. Use a spider skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer the fried flowers to absorbent paper to drain excess oil.

13. Keep the fried flowers warm as you fry all the batches, then serve immediately.