Battered zucchini flowers

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PRESENTATION

If you’d like to try a delicious appetizer that’s chock-full of wonderful summer aromas, battered zucchini flowers are the perfect recipe for your menu: an ideal dish for a tasty, colorful way to liven up your table with flavor and simplicity!  Fried zucchini flowers have a delicate flavor and are perfect for being stuffed with flavorful fillings, such as burrata cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. But the filling isn’t the only way to put a twist on this dish: Why just limit yourself to one type of batter? Chef Fabio Abbattista presents two variations for you to choose from: a more classic version with a leavened batter and a crispier version with tempura. When they’re ready, you’ll be able to serve your battered zucchini flowers in little paper cones and wow your guests. Can’t decide which version to make? Then just try both kinds of these tasty fried zucchini flowers to find out which one hits the spot for you!

INGREDIENTS

Zucchini flowers 15
Fine salt to taste
Peanut seed oil to taste - (for frying)
For the classic batter
Water 1 cup (220 g) - (mineral, lukewarm)
Type 00 flour 1 ⅓ cup (150 g)
Fresh brewer's yeast 1 ½ tbsp (15 g)
Fine salt ¾ tsp (6 g)
Sugar ½ tbsp (6 g)
For the tempura
Water 1 cup (200 g)
Type 00 flour 1 cup (100 g)
Egg yolks 1
Preparation

How to prepare Battered zucchini flowers

To make the battered zucchini flowers, start by preparing the batter. First, dissolve 1½ tbsp (15 g) of fresh brewer’s yeast, crumbled by hand, in a little room-temperature water taken from the 1 cup (220 g) of water you need for the batter 1, emulsifying with a whisk. Next, pour the flour into another bowl, add the rest of the room-temperature water 2, and mix with a whisk until you get a smooth mixture without any lumps 3.

Then add the brewer’s yeast dissolved in the water 4, continuing to whisk. Now add ¾ tsp (6 g) of salt 5 and ½ tbsp (6 g) of sugar, mixing again to combine the ingredients, and then cover with plastic wrap 6. Leave to rest for around 30 minutes at room temperature.

In the meantime, clean the zucchini flowers, starting by gently pulling off the stems 7. Then, still using your hands, pull off both the external pistils 8 and the internal bud 9. Repeat these steps with all the zucchini flowers.

After 30 minutes, the classic batter will be well leavened 10, so now it’s time for the frying. Pour the oil into a pot and heat to a maximum temperature of 340°-350°F (170°-180°C) (use a food thermometer to check). When the oil is almost at the right temperature, put the flowers into the batter 11, using kitchen tweezers to turn them so they are completely coated 12.

Next, take each flower out of the batter 13, allowing the excess to drain off, and then immerse the flowers in the hot oil 14, only doing a few at a time so the temperature doesn’t go down too much. When the flowers are nice and golden, turn them 15 and cook on the other side, too.

Then, take them out of the oil using a skimmer and place on a paper towel 16. Season with a pinch of salt 17 and serve your battered zucchini flowers 18.

For a crispier version, once all of the flowers have been cleaned, as described above, you can make the tempura. Place the egg yolk in a bowl 19 and, beating it with a whisk, add ¾ cup (100g) of flour little by little 20, and then slowly pour in 1 cup (200 g) of ice-cold water 21.

Continue to beat until you get a smooth mixture 22. Immerse the flowers in the batter, turning them so they are completely coated 23. Heat the oil to a temperature of 340°-350°F (170°-180°C), as indicated above, and fry your battered zucchini flowers, turning them over halfway through 24.

Once they’re cooked, remove them from the oil using a skimmer 25 and transfer to a paper towel. Season with salt 26 and serve them still hot 27!

Storage

We recommend eating the battered zucchini flowers right away. Freezing or any other kind of storage is not advised, to avoid losing the fragrance.

Tips

Be sure to use water that’s really ice-cold for the tempura so there will be a thermal shock during the frying and the flowers will turn out nice and fragrant. 

 

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.