Every summer, we anxiously await the arrival of squash blossoms so we can make one of our favorite dishes: fried squash blossoms.
It's a little time-consuming to prepare as you have to carefully remove the pistil from the center of the flower without ripping the delicate petals, but the work involved is worth it. I first had fried squash blossoms when I lived in Italy. In Italy, they’re usually dipped in batter and fried, and then served with salt and pepper. In Mexico, they’re added to soups and quesadillas. I stuff mine with cheese, dip them in beer batter, and fry them in hot oil.
The ones that come attached to a small baby squash are female blossoms; the ones without squash are male blossoms. Both are delicious. Buy the freshest flowers you can find and cook them the day of purchase; the longer you store the blossoms, the more the petals will stick together, making it hard to stuff them.
Fried Squash Blossoms
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon season salt
1/2 cup water
1 egg -- slightly beaten
10 to 15 squash blossoms
1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp bread crumbs
Vegetable oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
First, make the batter. Combine the first 5 ingredients, and then stir in the egg and water until smooth. Store in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the batter is chilling, prepare the squash blossoms.
Carefully separate the flower petals without breaking them and remove the pistil in the center. Combine the cheese, mayonnaise, oregano, and breadcrumbs until smooth. Carefully add about a tablespoon of this mixture to each blossom and twist the top of the flower tight.
Heat enough oil in a frying pan - about an inch deep - to accommodate the blossoms. Get the batter out of the fridge and dip each blossom in batter, coating it. Carefully place each batter-covered blossom in the hot oil and fry until golden crisp on both sides. Remove and drain on paper towels, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enjoy! Serves 3 to 4.
Related: Word of Mouth: Huitlacoche
(Images: Kathryn Hill)
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i bought a couple last week but the recipes seemed very involved for doing on a weeknight... and by the weekend they weren't looking so fresh so got tossed. =(
Yum! My favorite. I don't even see the need to stuff them...just whip up a quick batter, fry em and eat them hot!
even simpler, if one has little time, is to mix them with eggs and a little cheese for a frittata. But fried covered with a light batter are way better!
Can you eat squash blossoms raw? Like in a salad? Or can you use them in a saute?
Deep-frying is still a deal-breaker for me!
These were YUM!
I stuff them (just the blossoms) with a goat cheese/olive oil/garlic/herb mixture, and then drizzle w/ olive oil and a little S&P and stick them under my toaster oven broiler for about 10 mins., or until bubbly and starting to brown. Sooooo good!
i tried a twist on this recipe, thanks to you all! i have always known that these blossoms are eaten in mexico city, but never known how to cook them. i usually just saute them with garlic and salt, which is yummy but has a weird texture.
today, i picked the flowers from my garden, all males because they were the biggest and freshest. rinsed them and pulled out the little tongue thing inside it(very hard to do without ruining them if they have started to close up at all!).
i chopped up some semi soft manchego cheese (just regular manchego but when it is fresher it is soft and as it sits it gets like parm) into little 1/4 inch cubes and diced rosemary from the garden, drizzled grapeseed oil and ground four pepper and sea salt over and mixed it to cover cheese.
after blossoms were dry i put a small teaspoon of the cheese inside each one and then placed it inside an oven pan. i drizzled more grapeseed oil and salt and pepper and finished it with a very light dusting of flour.
i had the oven preheating on broil and stuck the pan in and left it for four minutes. i thought it would be more but i checked on them and they were bubbling and turning brown. OMG!!!
this is one of the most amazing experiment snacks i have had in my life! my wife almost melted like the cheese had when she ate one~ hahaha
thanks to all and enjoy!
ps is there a way to post pix? i took a couple scrumptious ones before we devoured them.