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Cook the Book: Deep-Fried Zucchini Blossoms

Posted by Adam Kuban, August 1, 2007 at 7:00 PM

Today's featured recipe from Cucina del Sole is for deep-fried zucchini blossoms. If you grow your own zucchini, you should have no problem procuring blossoms. If not, check at a farmers' market.

Deep-Fried Zucchini Blossoms

- makes 4 to 6 servings -

Ingredients

40 fresh zucchini blossoms

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup finely minced flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for deep-fat frying

Procedure

1. Rinse the blossoms carefully, leaving the stems attached, and gently shake them dry.

2. Put the flour in a small bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Use a fork or wire whisk to beat in tepid water, a little at a time, until you have a batter that is about the consistency of heavy whipping cream. Add parsley to the batter if you wish.

3. Add 2 inches of olive oil to a deep frying pan and heat to about 360°F (a small cube of white bread will sizzle and turn golden in about a minute). Have ready a rack covered with paper towels. Dip a zucchini blossom in the batter and hold it over the bowl to drip—you should have just enough batter to coat the blossom lightly. Drop the blossom into the hot fat and let it sizzle and turn golden, using tongs to turn the blossom once to crisp it all over. When done, transfer to the paper towel-covered rack. Depending on the size of your pan, you can fry 4 or 5 blossoms at once, but be careful not to crowd the pan. It's important to keep the frying temperature up; otherwise the blossoms will absorb oil instead of forming an instant crisp defense against it.

4. Serve immediately, while still hot, sprinkling the blossoms with more salt if necessary.

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Tags: books, Cook the Book, cookbooks, CTB: Cucina del Sole, deep-fried, Italian, southern Italian, zucchini blossoms