The fried zucchini flowers stuffed are a simple and tasty appetizer perfect to accompany an aperitif or as a starter.
Easy to prepare, with a golden and crispy exterior and a soft, stringy heart of mozzarella and anchovies to which it is impossible to resist.
The Fried Zucchini Flowers with Mozzarella are a typical recipe from Lazio, to be consumed still hot, whose secret for a perfect result lies in the preparation of the batter that wraps them.
The recipe is very easy and quick: just take fresh and fleshy zucchini flowers, clean them gently so as not to break them, stuff them with anchovy fillets and pieces of mozzarella, immerse them in the batter and fry them for a few minutes.
For those who prefer, at the bottom of the recipe I leave the directions to prepare them in the oven for a lighter result, but believe me, equally delicious to lick your chops
The recipe I propose today is the classic one based on anchovies and mozzarella, but you can vary the filling depending on what you have available. Instead of mozzarella, provolone or other semi-hard cheese will work, as will anchovies which you can replace with diced ham, speck, bacon, or other cold cuts. A light alternative that I leave in the notes is the filling with ricotta, cooked ham, and parmesan.
These stuffed zucchini flowers, especially in the summer when they are in season, are a tasty appetizer, excellent to enjoy accompanied by a good glass of fresh prosecco, try them and they will surely be appreciated by everyone.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 458.92 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 51.12 (g) of which sugars 4.80 (g)
- Proteins 21.04 (g)
- Fat 17.93 (g) of which saturated 7.21 (g)of which unsaturated 4.18 (g)
- Fibers 1.63 (g)
- Sodium 823.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 80 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 16 zucchini (the flower)
- 7 oz mozzarella
- anchovy in oil (16 fillets)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1.4 cups light beer (chilled)
- 1.6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 0.8 cups light beer (chilled)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Bowl
- Hand whisk
- Pan
- Thermometer
Steps
Put the egg in a bowl, stir it slightly with a fork, add the cold beer, and stir again. Gradually add the flour while stirring continuously until you get a smooth, lump-free consistency. The batter is ready. Remember, the batter cannot be prepared in advance, and it is important to use it immediately.
Take the zucchini flowers, remove the stem and the filaments around the attachment, being careful not to break the flower. Remove the pistil. At this point, wash them very gently and dry them with a paper towel. Remember they are very delicate.
Cut the mozzarella into pieces and let it drain on a plate to remove excess liquid.
Now you’re ready to stuff the zucchini flowers. Gently open the flower and fill it with 1 anchovy fillet and a few pieces of mozzarella. Close the flower gently, trying to seal it.
In the meantime, put plenty of seed oil in a pan and bring it to a temperature of 338-356°F.
Once the oil has almost reached the temperature, place the prepared batter on a plate and dip the zucchini flowers, one at a time, let the excess batter drain, and fry immediately.
Use tongs to turn them so they cook evenly.
Once cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate with a paper towel to dry the excess oil. Season with a pinch of salt and serve immediately while hot.
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NOTES
ZUCCHINI FLOWERS When purchasing, make sure they are fresh, with an open corolla, tense petals, and a beautiful yellow-orange color.
BEER BATTER WITHOUT EGGS. If you prefer, you can prepare a beer batter without eggs. In this case, you will need 0.8 cups of cold light beer, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, and 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil. Simply place the flour and oil in a bowl, mix, then add the very cold beer and mix again with a hand whisk until you get a smooth, lump-free batter.
FILLING Instead of mozzarella and anchovy fillets, you can stuff the zucchini flowers with ricotta and cooked ham. You will need: 8.8 oz of ricotta, 1.8 oz of cooked ham, 1 egg, and 2.8 oz of grated parmesan cheese. Mix these ingredients in a bowl, then gently stuff the zucchini flowers. To batter and fry, follow the main recipe above.
OVEN COOKING If you want to prepare lighter zucchini flowers, you can bake them instead of frying. Once stuffed, place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and bake in the oven at 356°F for about 15 minutes, then another 3 minutes under the grill at 392°F.
STORAGE
Like all fried preparations, stuffed zucchini flowers with mozzarella and anchovies should be consumed immediately. Storing them in the fridge compromises the crispness of the outer part.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How to clean zucchini flowers?
To clean zucchini or squash blossoms, open the flower very gently, remove the internal pistil with a knife, rinse the petals very gently under a trickle of water, being careful not to break them. After washing them, just let them dry with a kitchen paper towel, gently patting.
