Think On It

Fried stuffed squash flowers

August 21st, 2008

It begins with these, fresh from the garden, cleaned and dried.

Then you take this from last week

and do this with it

and you end up with this. Oh, we skipped the batter!

Crispest Batter for Squashflowers

40 g/ 1 ounce cornstarch/Maizena
40 g/1 ounce plain flour
pinch of salt
carbonated water/acqua frizzante

Put the dry ingredients into a bowl, then slowly whisk in enough of the sparkling water to make a slurry the consistency of light cream.

Dip the filled flowers into this, then put them immediately into hot olive oil in a frying pan. I use about 1 cm/3/8″ depth and try to turn just once, which keeps them their crunchiest.

I’ve another filling recipe coming up, which the neighbors loved, made of cous cous. They were really surprised!

Entry Filed under: cheese, vegetarian, economical, Italian food, recipes, contorno, vegetables, easy, antipasto, orto

6 Comments Add your own

1. eg | August 21st, 2008 at 1:16 pm

I\’ll have to try these someday. It looks good!
2. admin | August 21st, 2008 at 3:49 pm

‘Twas!
3. Maria I. | August 21st, 2008 at 7:33 pm

I\’ve only had them once in Rome and they were awesome. I\’ll try this recipe, if I ever find squash flowers in Arizona. Maybe I should grow my own…
4. admin | August 22nd, 2008 at 11:05 am

Do grow them. I think winter is the time in Arizona. Start now! Otherwise, ask at a farmer’s market, they’ll be happy to find another thing to sell.
5. Julianna | November 18th, 2008 at 11:09 am

You know this whole summer I was making a variant on squash blossom soup– I used a chicken broth base (4c), then added about 8 cups (uncut) of chopped blossoms, and maybe 2-4 baby tromboncino squash with salt and pepper, 1 onion and 2-3 cloves of garlic (which had been cooked lightly in butter before the whole soup started). It was so good!
6. admin | November 18th, 2008 at 6:25 pm

@Julianna:

I don’t know what a tromboncino squash is! Soup sounds good, though. Healthier than frying the blossoms, which I don’t do for me, but often do for clients. They are gooood.