Feast your taste buds on the delightful flavors of fried squash blossoms, a culinary masterpiece that combines the delicate flavors of squash blossoms with a crispy, golden-brown coating. This delectable dish is a staple in many cultures, enjoyed as an appetizer, side dish, or even as a main course. Its versatility allows it to be prepared in various ways, each offering a unique taste experience.
In this curated collection of recipes, you'll embark on a culinary journey that explores the diverse preparations of fried squash blossoms. Discover the classic Italian recipe that coats the blossoms in a light batter made with flour, eggs, and milk, creating a crispy outer shell that perfectly complements the tender interior. Experience the vibrant flavors of a Mexican-inspired version, featuring a filling of cheese, corn, and chili peppers, all wrapped in a crispy tortilla. Indulge in the richness of a Southern-style recipe that pairs fried squash blossoms with creamy cornmeal batter, resulting in a delectable combination of textures and flavors.
Whether you prefer a simple preparation or a more elaborate creation, the recipes in this article will guide you in crafting this delectable dish. From selecting the freshest squash blossoms to mastering the art of frying, you'll find all the essential tips and techniques to ensure success. So, gather your ingredients, prepare your taste buds, and get ready to embark on a culinary adventure that celebrates the beauty and flavor of fried squash blossoms.
FRIED STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS
If you have a garden and you planted zucchini, you will have an abundance of squash blossoms. These are just amazing, with that tangy goat cheese filling and that batter: so simple, light, and crisp.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Side Dish Vegetables Squash Zucchini
Time 1h15m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice-cold water. Drop squash blossoms into the boiling water until slightly wilted, 30 to 45 seconds; transfer immediately into the cold water to chill. Remove to paper towels to drain.
- Mix goat cheese, egg yolk, Gruyere cheese, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl; stir until smooth. Spoon filling into a heavy, resealable 1-quart plastic bag, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag. Cut a small corner off the bag.
- Gently insert the cut corner of the bag all the way to the bottom of the open end of a blossom and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling inside. Pick up petals and drape them up over the filling, covering filling completely. Fold any excess petals over the top of the filled blossom to keep them out of the way. Refrigerate filled squash blossoms until cheese is set and firm, at least 30 minutes.
- Combine self-rising flour and cornstarch in a mixing bowl; whisk in ice-cold water, a little at a time, until batter is smooth and has the thickness of pancake batter.
- Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1 inch into a heavy skillet (such as a cast iron pan) and place over medium heat. Heat oil until a thermometer placed into the oil, not touching the bottom, reads 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). A drop of batter carefully dripped into the oil should sizzle immediately.
- Remove squash blossoms from refrigerator and dust lightly with all-purpose flour on all sides. Shake off excess flour and dip blossoms in batter. Let excess batter drip off.
- Gently lay coated squash blossoms in the hot oil on their sides; cook about 6 at a time until pale golden brown, 1 minute on the first side and 30 seconds to 1 minute on the remaining sides. Let cool slightly before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 156.2 calories, Carbohydrate 13.3 g, Cholesterol 30.7 mg, Fat 9.1 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 5 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Sodium 214.3 mg, Sugar 0.4 g
BATTER FRIED STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS
Delicate squash blossoms are filled with ricotta and mozzarella. To stuff the squash blossoms easily, spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a coupler, then pipe it directly into each blossom.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Appetizers
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Place ricotta cheese in a double layer of cheesecloth. Tie up ends, and hang over a bowl to drain. Place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper. Slowly add milk to the flour mixture, whisking constantly, until the batter has a slightly thickened and very smooth consistency; set aside.
- Remove ricotta from the cheesecloth, and discard the liquid. In another medium bowl, stir together drained ricotta, mozzarella, marjoram, and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Gently open the flower petals and, using a small spoon, fill a blossom about 2/3 full with the ricotta mixture. Wrap the petals around the mixture to seal. Using your fingers, gently press the blossom to distribute filling evenly. Repeat, filling all the blossoms.
- In a small saucepan fitted with a deep-frying thermometer, heat olive oil over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Place the stuffed blossoms in the reserved batter until completely coated. Lift out, and gently drag the blossom against the edge of the bowl to remove excess batter. Carefully slip as many blossoms into the hot oil as will comfortably fit without crowding. Fry the blossoms until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon, and transfer to several layers of paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.
FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS
Pick the flowers off your zucchini plants as soon as you see some zucchini has started to come in under the flower. A very tasty treat! Try stuffing the blossoms with goat cheese before frying them!
Provided by feebz7
Categories Side Dish Vegetables Squash Zucchini Fried Zucchini Recipes
Time 45m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Gently dip zucchini blossoms in beaten egg and shake off the excess. Press into flour; coat with bread crumbs. Place breaded blossoms on a plate; do not stack.
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry blossoms, working in batches, until both sides are golden brown, about 5 minutes each side. Season with salt and black pepper.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 210.6 calories, Carbohydrate 22.6 g, Cholesterol 93.2 mg, Fat 10.2 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 6.9 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 299.6 mg, Sugar 1.1 g
FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS
These blooms look too pretty to eat. The tender petals are light, with just a hint of squash flavor.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Seafood Recipes
Time 40m
Yield Makes 1 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Divide mozzarella into 12 equal pieces. Carefully open 1 blossom, and insert 1 anchovy half and 1 mozzarella piece. Twist shut; transfer to a plate, and cover with a damp towel. Repeat with remaining blossoms, anchovies, and mozzarella.
- Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Whisk in sparkling water. (Batter will be thick; add more water if needed for a pancake-batter-like consistency.) Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast-iron) until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 to 360 degrees. Dip blossoms into batter. Working in batches, fry blossoms, rolling in oil to coat, until lightly browned and crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plates; season with salt.
FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS SNACK
Savvy gardeners know that flowers from plants in the squash family make flavorful fare. Remove only the male blossoms-those with thin, trim stems-if you'd also like to harvest some squash. You'll find these to be a treat that's tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.-Lynn Buxkemper, Slaton, Texas
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Appetizers
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic salt and cumin. In another bowl, beat egg, milk and oil; add to dry ingredients and stir until smooth. In a skillet, heat 2 in. of oil to 375°. Dip blossoms into batter and fry in oil a few at a time until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm until serving.
Nutrition Facts :
FRIED ZUCCHINI SQUASH BLOSSOMS
I have been making and eating zucchini blossoms for as long as I can remember. My nana would make sure my grandfather picked them as soon as they were perfect! As a little girl we would fill them with ricotta and mozzarella cheese, but I am going to share a delicious paleo recipe for you to enjoy.
Provided by Cindy Anschutz Barbieri
Categories Appetizers and Snacks Cheese
Time 1h13m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add zucchini blossoms and cook until slightly wilted, about 20 seconds. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Mix goat cheese, egg yolk, scallion, pepper, and cayenne in a bowl until smooth.
- Spoon filling into a resealable plastic bag and seal, squeezing out as much air as possible. Cut a small corner off the bag. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each zucchini blossom. Fold petals over to cover filling. Arrange on a plate.
- Refrigerate filled zucchini blossoms until cheese is set and firm, at least 45 minutes.
- Mix tapioca flour and arrowroot powder together in a shallow dish.
- Pour coconut oil into a cast iron skillet to a depth of 1 inch. Heat until a thermometer inserted into the oil reads 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Dredge cold zucchini blossoms lightly in tapioca flour mixture, shaking off excess. Fry in hot oil until golden, about 1 minute. Flip with tongs and fry until golden on second side, about 1 minute more. Remove zucchini blossoms to drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Season with sea salt.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 464.8 calories, Carbohydrate 37.2 g, Cholesterol 66.1 mg, Fat 34.1 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 5.1 g, SaturatedFat 27.9 g, Sodium 181.2 mg, Sugar 0.6 g
TEMPURA FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS WITH TOMATO SAUCE
Steps:
- Tempura Batter:
- Sift together all of the dry ingredients. Whisk in the soda water, a little at a time, until the right consistency is achieved. The batter should coat the back of a spoon, but some excess batter should run off the spoon. Allow to rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before use.
- Goat Cheese Filling:
- Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Shape the mixture into 1 tablespoon balls. Make sure the squash blossoms are well cleaned. Open the flowers and insert 1 goat cheese ball in each flower. Gently press the filling into the base of the flower. Cover with the petals and pinch the top to seal. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat a fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with peanut oil to 375 degrees F.
- Hold the squash blossoms by the stem. Dip each into the tempura batter, making sure to coat completely. Let any excess batter drip off. Place the blossom in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, turning often to brown evenly. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
- Place some of the Tomato Sauce on the bottom of a plate. Top with 2 squash blossoms and garnish with Fried Basil leaves.
- Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Lower the heat and cook until the tomatoes start to disintegrate and mixture is of sauce consistency, about 15 minutes. Add the thyme, basil, and remaining olive oil and mix well.
- Heat about 1/2-inch of the oil in a steep-sided saute pan to 350 degrees F. Or heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees F.
- Pat the basil leaves dry to remove any surface water. Carefully drop the basil leaves in the hot oil. The oil will spit and splatter as the moisture in the leaves fries. Fry for 10 seconds or just until the leaves start to become translucent. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.
FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS
Steps:
- With a pair of small sharp scissors, snip each petal down to the stem to open the blossom more fully. If the stems are still attached, snip them off. Sprinkle the flowers with a little water and lay them to dry, stem side up, petals spread out like a sunflower. In a shall bowl, beat together the flour and beer to form a batter that is slighly thicker than heavy cream. Stir in a little sea salt. Cover the batter and let it rest while the oil heats. Use peanut oil, a minimum depth of 3 incehs in a heavy skillet. Heat the oil on medium flame. When ready, slide the blossoms, one at a time into the batter and then into the waiting oil; cook only 3 or 4 at a time. As they turn deeply golden, remove with tongs and let sit a moment on paper towels. Grind a little sea salt over top or mist lightly with sea salted water.
Tips:
- Choose male squash blossoms for frying, as they have a milder flavor and fewer seeds than female blossoms.
- Gently rinse the squash blossoms and pat them dry before filling them.
- Use a light hand when filling the squash blossoms, as too much filling can make them difficult to close.
- Heat the oil to the proper temperature before frying the squash blossoms. If the oil is too hot, the blossoms will brown too quickly and the filling will not have time to cook through. If the oil is not hot enough, the blossoms will absorb too much oil and become greasy.
- Fry the squash blossoms in small batches so that they do not crowd the pan and cook evenly.
- Drain the squash blossoms on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Serve the squash blossoms immediately, while they are still hot and crispy.
Conclusion:
Fried squash blossoms are a delicious and unique appetizer or side dish. They are easy to make and can be filled with a variety of ingredients, making them a versatile dish that can be enjoyed by everyone. Whether you are looking for a new way to use your squash blossoms or are simply looking for a delicious and healthy snack, fried squash blossoms are a great option.
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