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Zucchini Blossoms

17/11/2023

Zucchini flowers are a delicious and fairly simple dish to prepare. Here’s a classic Italian recipe with a Roman variant, which is fried in batter.

Ingredients

  • 12 zucchini flowers
  • 100g of mozzarella (or other stringy cheese)
  • 8 anchovy fillets in oil (optional for those who love a stronger flavor)
  • 100g of flour
  • 150mL of sparkling water
  • Salt to taste
  • Vegetable oil (for frying)
  • Pepper (optional)

Preparation

  1. Start by gently washing the zucchini flowers under cold running water and pat them dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

  2. If you decide to use anchovies, drain them from the oil and cut the mozzarella into cubes; fill each zucchini flower with a bit of mozzarella and an anchovy fillet, taking care not to tear the petals. Close the flowers gently by rolling them upon the closure.

  3. Prepare a batter by mixing the flour with the sparkling water and a pinch of salt until you have a smooth mixture that is not too thick. If you like, you can add a grind of pepper.

  4. Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in a frying pan (an oil with a high smoke point like sunflower or peanut would be ideal), bringing it to about 180 °C.

  5. Gently coat the stuffed flowers in the batter, making sure they are well covered.

  6. Fry the batter-dipped zucchini flowers in the hot oil for about 2-3 minutes per side, until they are golden and crispy.

  7. Remove them with a slotted spoon and lay them on paper towels to remove any excess oil.

  8. Serve the zucchini flowers hot and crispy, adding a pinch of salt if necessary.

If you prefer a non-fried variant, you can bake the zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella (and perhaps cooked ham) in the oven at 180 °C for about 15-20 minutes, until they are golden and the mozzarella is nicely stringy.

Did You Know?

Zucchini flowers are a staple of Italian cuisine, especially in Rome where the fried batter version is extremely popular and is consumed both as an appetizer and as a snack. In Italy, they are mostly found during the summer months when the zucchini plant produces its flowers abundantly.

Zucchini Blossoms