Fried Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Spinach and Ricotta
Nibbles and Bites Issue #42: Move over tomatoes, we're having a zucchini girl summer
Happy August! We’re in the thick of summer, and tomatoes, corn and zucchini have been cropping up everywhere. I have to say this year, I haven’t been completely bombarded by tomato content and for that, I am forever grateful. In this issue of Nibbles and Bites, I wanted to give you some tips and a recipe for using up those gorgeous yellow zucchini blossoms that you’ve probably been seeing packed side by side in plastic clamshell containers at farm stands.
In my recipe, I stuff and fry them, but divert from making the batter with flour and club soda or seltzer, which is more traditional and results in a super light, aerated and almost pillowy exterior. When using this battering method, the fried blossoms become texturally similar to something fried in tempura batter. However, in my recipe I call for breading the stuffed blossoms in a dread consisting of flour, egg and panko breadcrumbs resulting in an extremely crispy exterior that has way more crunch and in my opinion is a little more filling and satisfying.
I went through a stage in life where I was obsessed with zucchini blossoms mainly because I adored flowers and really enjoyed ones that happened to be edible. I never really outgrew this stage of life, don’t be fooled it still persists, I think I’ve just been able to tone down by very public infatuation with them. Personally, I think that zucchini blossoms have more substance than pansies or nasturtium because the blossoms are huge and their petal structure makes it so that they can become a vessel for hot molten cheese. What could be better?!
During this time of year, I also use zucchini blossoms in my salads and just remove the tough stems and lightly tear the petals to use as a garnish. They give a lot of visible interest to salads making them feel slightly more ethereal, dainty and down right joyful.
In my fried zucchini blossom recipe, I stuff the flowers with a mixture of ricotta and spinach making the perfect snack for aperitivo hour. If you can pull these off, you can truly do anything. Here’s how you make them!
Fried Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Spinach and Ricotta
Ingredients:
10-12 zucchini flowers
1 cup ricotta
2 cloves of garlic, grated
2 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
2 cups of spinach, blanched and then chopped finely
½ cup flour
1 egg (full disclosure I used heavy cream for my dread because I was trying to use it up and it turned out well!)
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
Instructions:
Clean the zucchini flowers carefully with a paper towel. Place the ricotta over a strainer and press gently with the back of a wooden spoon. Place in a medium bowl and add the grated garlic, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, and chopped blanched spinach. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix to combine.
Place the flour in a low bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place the egg in a separate low bowl, season with salt and pepper and beat until smooth. Add the panko breadcrumbs into a separate bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Fill each of the zucchini blossoms by carefully pulling back the flowers and stuffing each out with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta filling. You can place the filling in a piping bag or ziploc bag for easy filling, however I prefer using a small spoon to place the filling in the center of each blossom because the ricotta mixture is slightly chunky.
Once all of the zucchini blossoms are completely filled, place each blossom in the flour mixture, tossing gently until thoroughly coated, tap off any excess and place in the egg mixture. Carefully coat the blossoms in the egg mixture allowing any excess to drip off before placing it in the panko mixture, turning to coat. Line all of the stuffed blossoms on a plate until ready to fry.
Meanwhile, in a large pot or pan with high sides, heat about 2” of oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350 degrees. Place about 6 of the bread zucchini blossoms in the frying pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan and turn them occasionally until they are slightly golden brown about 2-3 minutes per side.
Once golden brown all over, remove from the pan of hot oil and place on a paper towel lined plate and immediately season with salt. Continue frying the remaining blossoms in batches until all are crispy and golden brown. Serve immediately!