I’m not a big fan of deep fried food normally, but these crispy stuffed courgette (zucchini) flowers, a kind of Italian version of Tempura, has always been my favourite.

A month ago or so, I was asked by a friend to take some pictures of those flowers. We grow courgettes in our allotment, and I did manage to shoot them. Even though I enjoy eating the flowers, I never actually cook them often myself as we grow a small amount and only have a couple of flowers at a time.

However when we visited a PYO (pick your own) farm with our friends recently, we found loads of courgette flowers so I decided to dust off our deep fryer :) 

Many people wouldn’t even think about eating these beauties (and if you find them at Borough Market, they are sold for more than £1 each!) – it’s a real shame because they have such a gorgeous, delicate flavour.

You can find many different recipes for the stuffing – I tried one which uses ricotta, pepper, mint and lemon zest – it’s light and mild and I liked it, but you can use mozzarella (anchovies go well with it) or add some parmesan, or some nuts for an extra texture. Play around a bit and find your favourite :) 

You can use other flowers like pumpkin or squash too, and even if you can’t get hold of the flowers, you can still use the batter to fry courgettes. Make sure to eat them as you fry them, although I don’t think you will be able to resist very long :)

ingredients

300ml/10½fl oz vegetable oil, for deep frying

for the stuffed courgette flowers




225g/8oz ricotta




1 lemon zest and juice only




salt and freshly ground black pepper




4 courgette flowers, with the baby courgette stems left on




plain flour, for dusting

for the batter




200g/7oz plain flour




1 tsp bicarbonate soda




pinch salt




250ml/9fl oz ice cold carbonated water

for the salad




1 tbsp mint, finely chopped




1 lemon, juice only




100ml/3 fl oz crème fraîche




1 fennel bulb, finely sliced on a mandoline

method

1. Heat the oil in a deep heavy-based pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)




2. For the stuffed courgette flowers, mix the ricotta, lemon zest and juice together in a bowl. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.




3. Carefully spoon equal amounts of the ricotta mixture into each of the courgette flowers. Be careful not to overfill the flowers or they won't close.




4. Gently squeeze the petals of each flower back together to enclose the ricotta mixture.




5. Dredge each stuffed courgette flower in some plain flour.




6. For the batter, mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a clean bowl.




7. Gradually add the water, whisking well to form a batter.




8. Dip the stuffed courgette flowers into the batter and transfer to the hot oil to deep-fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden-brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.




9. For the salad, place the mint, lemon juice and crème fraîche into clean bowl and mix well.




10. Add the fennel and stir gently to coat.




11. To serve, place equal amounts of fennel salad onto each plate and top with a deep-fried courgette flower.

Content Page Image by hollis brown thornton