Fried Zucchini Blossoms

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 up in a simple pastella [a classic Italian batter of flour and water]." Here Canora fills the blossoms with anchovies and mozzarella before cooking them until crispy. More Delicious Fried Foods

Total Time:
30 mins
Yield:
6

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • Salt

  • 2 tablespoons chopped sage

  • 1 3/4 cups ice water

  • 12 zucchini blossoms, stamens removed

  • 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into twelve 1/2-inch-wide, 1 1/2-inch sticks

  • 6 anchovy fillets, halved

  • Pure olive oil, for frying

Directions

  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.

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