Shared Kitchen

Real food from scratch

  • Home
  • About us
  • Cook’s notes
  • Ilaria’s Kitchenette
  • Shop
  • Search

Stuff your face with flowers? Yes! Zucchini Blossoms!

—

10 January 2017 BY Julie Biuso
SERVES: Makes 8-10

Zucchini

Eating flowers is not so weird ... the Italians have been rejoicing in them for centuries.

Ingredients
—

1 Tbsp golden sultanas (or raisins) 1 Tbsp pine nuts Olive oil for frying 100g (3-4 ounces) ricotta ¼ cup freshly grated grano padano or parmesan cheese Finely grated zest ½ lemon 1 tsp shredded sage leaves ½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling Tiny bit of crushed dried bird’s eye chilli, or a sprinkle of chilli flakes, optional 2 Italian amaretti biscuits, lightly crushed (2 tsp amaretti crumbs), optional 8-10 zucchini (courgette) blossoms Batter or coating (see Recipe notes below), butter if required

Method
—

Read notes on harvesting zucchini flowers and preparing them before starting the recipe.

1 Put the sultanas in a small bowl and cover with very hot water. Soak for 15 minutes, drain, dry off with paper towels, then chop coarsely.

2 Toast the pine nuts in a small lightly oiled frying pan set over a medium heat, stirring pretty much constantly, until lightly golden.

Zucchini flowers 4

Stuffing ingredients

3 In a bowl mix ricotta, grano padano or parmesan, lemon zest, sage, sea salt and chilli and crushed amaretti biscuits if using. Add sultanas and pine nuts.

Zucchini

Mix filling ingredients together

Zucchini flowers 8

Pick them in the morning while they are open

4 Open the flowers and nip out the stamens and pistils. Put a spoonful of the stuffing inside each flower, then close the petals and gently twist the ends.

Zucchini

Nip out the stamens and pistils

Zucchini flowers 1

Stuff flowers with a spoonful of mixture

5 Prepare batter or panko crumb coating. Heat some oil in a wok over a medium high heat until it is starting to shimmer. Dunk blossoms in the batter, let excess drip off, then lower into hot oil. Turn when golden, cook the other side until golden, then transfer to a cake rack set over a baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.

Zucchini flowers 6

Fry just a few at a time

Zuchinni flowers 7

Drain on a cake rack set over a baking sheet

Zucchini flowers 5

Creaminess and crunch – serve immediately

Continue with remaining blossoms. If you prefer to coat the blossoms by ‘egging and crumbing’, dunk them in beaten egg and milk, let excess drip off, then coat with crumbs. Fry in sizzling butter until golden. When all the blossoms are ready, serve immediately.

Recipe notes

Italian amaretti biscuits are sweet and crunchy with a curious bitter edge. If you can’t find them, don’t substitute anything else as the filling is delicious enough without them.

I used ‘Fogdog’ gluten-free tempura batter simply because I had it, but you could make you own batter, tempura or otherwise (it needs to be thin), or pass the flowers through egg beaten with a little milk then ground panko crumbs (blitz them briefly).

I like to fry these in a wok as you will need less oil than you would in a flat frying pan. Whatever you fry them in, fry no more than 3 at a time or they will stick together.

Share Share on StumbleUpon
StumbleUpon
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
share on Tumblr
Tumblr
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on Facebook
Facebook

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You might also like...

Char-grilled lamb – simply scrumptious!
Gorgeously succulent, lean and tasty. Yeah!
Read more
Nectarines Baked with Chocolate Amaretti Topping
Got a bunch of too-firm nectarines, or fruit that makes your mouth pucker? Deal to them this way and you'll be back for seconds.
Read more
Baked Apricots
Summer in a mouthful! Sweet, tangy, fruity, GORGEOUS!
Read more

About this blog

Julie Biuso

Shared Kitchen is an ongoing collaboration between longtime New Zealand food personality Julie Biuso and upstart food blogger Ilaria Biuso.

Subscribe

Keep up to date with all the latest.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Essentials

  • 10 minutes with…
  • Tastings
  • Kitchen things we like
  • Reviews
  • Sites I like
  • Weights & measures
  • Copyright & disclaimer

Categories

  • Recently posted
  • Julie’s Blog
  • Ilaria’s Blog & Recipes
  • Special occasions
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Autumn
  • Winter
  • Wine & drinks

Posts by month

  • + 2022
    • June (102)
    • May (70)
    • April (79)
    • March (116)
    • February (80)
    • January (9)
  • + 2021
    • December (13)
    • November (17)
    • October (13)
    • September (21)
    • August (12)
    • July (14)
    • June (13)
    • May (9)
    • April (10)
    • March (15)
    • February (11)
    • January (13)
  • + 2020
    • December (11)
    • November (16)
    • October (21)
    • September (19)
    • August (10)
    • July (7)
    • June (4)
    • May (4)
    • April (28)
    • March (15)
    • February (25)
    • January (13)
  • + 2019
    • December (18)
    • November (21)
    • October (18)
    • September (24)
    • August (27)
    • July (30)
    • June (19)
    • May (30)
    • April (38)
    • March (23)
    • February (24)
    • January (18)
  • + 2018
    • December (21)
    • November (25)
    • October (28)
    • September (23)
    • August (26)
    • July (27)
    • June (27)
    • May (25)
    • April (15)
    • March (20)
    • February (22)
    • January (19)
  • + 2017
    • December (13)
    • November (22)
    • October (23)
    • September (18)
    • August (25)
    • July (17)
    • June (22)
    • May (21)
    • April (19)
    • March (25)
    • February (19)
    • January (23)
  • + 2016
    • December (8)
    • November (17)
    • October (21)
    • September (22)
    • August (23)
    • July (13)
    • June (19)
    • May (22)
    • April (17)
    • March (21)
    • February (15)
    • January (15)
  • + 2015
    • December (20)
    • November (17)
    • October (10)
    • September (23)
    • August (16)
    • July (6)
    • June (13)
    • May (17)
    • April (8)
    • March (12)
    • February (8)
    • January (21)
  • + 2014
    • December (4)
    • November (2)
Shared Kitchen Online Shop

SHARED KITCHEN COOKBOOK

Buy our Shared Kitchen Cookbook

Get a signed copy by Julie & Ilaria Biuso

Julie & Ilaria Biuso Win BEST IN THE WORLD 2021 GOURMAND BOOK AWARDS

SHARED KITCHEN Real Food From Scratch wins 2021 Gourmand Award

SHARED KITCHEN Real Food From Scratch has won Best In The World in the Blogger category at the Gourmand Cookbook Awards announced in Paris this month.

Gourmand Cookbook Awards 2015 Best Food Blogsite New Zealand

Gourmand Cookbook Awards 2015 Best Food Blogsite New Zealand

PRESS COVERAGE

Print  Radio  Television

Shared Kitchen radio and print interviews

Shared Kitchen

Shared Kitchen
Julie Biuso
2020

  • Home
  • About us
  • Cook’s notes
  • Ilaria’s kitchenette

© 2020 Please see our copyright page for conditions on use of content here

  • Home
  • About us
  • Ilaria’s Kitchenette
  • Store
  • Categories
    • Special occasions
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Baking
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
    • Winter
    • Wine & drinks
    • Back
  • Essentials
    • 10 minutes with…
    • Kitchen things we like
    • Recently posted
    • Reviews
    • Tastings
    • Tips & tricks
    • Something for the weekend
    • Weights & measures
    • What’s at the farmers’ markets
    • Back