Tested and Perfected by Food and Wine
Food & Wine Recipe

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

Contributed by
  • ACTIVE:
  • TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 6
  • FAST
  • MAKE-AHEAD

Marco Canora grew up in New York's Hudson Valley with a fantastic vegetable garden that produced an abundance of zucchini. "I'd pick the flowers," he says, "then my mother would stuff them with any combination of things and fry them u...

  1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  2. Salt
  3. 2 tablespoons chopped sage
  4. 1 3/4 cups ice water
  5. 12 zucchini blossoms, stamens removed
  6. 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into twelve 1/2-inch-wide, 1 1/2-inch sticks
  7. 6 anchovy fillets, halved
  8. Pure olive oil, for frying
  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour with a large pinch of salt and the sage. Gradually whisk in the ice water until just blended.
  2. Carefully open each zucchini blossom, place a piece of mozzarella and an anchovy half inside and twist tightly to close.
  3. In a large saucepan, heat 1/2 inch of olive oil to 350°. Dip each stuffed blossom in the batter and allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. Fry 3 blossoms at a time, turning once, until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Serve right away.
Make Ahead The batter can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours. Stir the batter well before using.