Stuffed zucchini flowers in golden, crispy fried batter, with a melty heart of smoked provolone and anchovies, truly delicious for an appetizer or aperitif paired with fresh bubbly that suits this dish well. Zucchini flowers are delicious fried, but if you prepare them stuffed, they are even better, so why not take advantage of the fact that they are in season now? Yes, the peak season is spring to early summer, but with the arrival of late summer rains, the garden comes alive again, and the zucchini plants generously provide flowers, so let’s not waste any and enjoy them in delightful recipes.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients for Stuffed Zucchini Flowers in Batter
- 16 zucchini flowers
- 5.3 oz smoked provolone
- 16 fillets anchovies
- to taste batter
- to taste sunflower oil
- 1.6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.2 cups cold sparkling water
- to taste salt
Tools for Preparing Stuffed Zucchini Flowers in Batter
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Colander
- 1 Pan
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Paper Towels
Steps for Preparing Stuffed Zucchini Flowers in Batter
In a bowl, add the flour and gradually incorporate the water, stirring with a spoon to avoid lumps. Finally, add salt, or if you like, pepper and parmesan, which always go well. Instead of cold sparkling water from the fridge, you can also use beer.
Clean the flowers by removing the harder part of the stem, peeling the remaining part, removing the green parts attached to the base, then remove the central pistil, gently opening them and washing them, removing any hidden insects inside. Let them dry in a colander.
Cut the smoked provolone or scamorza into pieces and also prepare the anchovies, or anchovies in oil, at least one fillet per flower.
Stuff each flower with a piece or two of provolone and a fillet, and seal each flower well by twisting the end.
One at a time, dip the flowers in the batter, allowing excess to fall off into the bowl, and fry in plenty of hot oil. Let them turn golden, then drain and dry on paper towels, add salt to taste, and enjoy your delicious stuffed zucchini flowers with smoked provolone and anchovies in batter, golden and crispy with a melty and savory heart.
If there’s leftover batter, you can also fry other vegetables like onions, zucchini, or carrots.
