Recipe

Stuffed zucchini flowers

  • 10 mins preparation
  • 13 mins cooking
  • Serves 4
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Ingredients

Filling
  • 2 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1 egg, separated
  • 1/2 cup goat's cheese
  • 1/2 cup ricotta
  • 1茶匙新鲜百里香树叶
  • sea salt and cracked black pepper
Batter
  • 2/3 cup plain flour, sifted
  • 1 1/4 cup cold sparkling mineral water
Flowers
  • 12 zucchini flowers, trimmed around base (see note)
  • vegetable oil, for deep-frying
  • sea salt

Method

Stuffed zucchini flowers
  • 1
    To make filling, place pine nuts in frying pan over medium high heat for 5 to 6 mins, stirring occasionally until golden. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Combine egg yolk, goat's cheese, ricotta, thyme and pinch each of salt and pepper in bowl. Add cooled pine nuts, stir, then transfer to piping bag or snaplock bag (snip a corner of the snaplock after filling with mixture). Pipe approx 1 tbsp cheese mix into each zucchini flower; do not overfill as flowers can split.
  • 2
    To make batter, whisk together flour, egg white and enough mineral water to make a thin batter (types of flour vary, so start with 1 cup water and add little by little until you have a nice runny consistency). Whisk until just combined; small lumps in the batter are fine - do not over whisk as you will lose the bubbles in the water.
  • 3
    To cook flowers, heat oil in saucepan or wok over medium high heat to 190°C. Use thermometer to measure temperature; or oil is ready when a cube of white bread dropped in turns golden in 10 to 15 seconds. Dip zucchini flowers in batter, allow excess to drip off, then deep fry in batches for 3 to 4 mins until golden.
  • 4
    Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Lay on serving platter and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve immediately.