I found these lovely specimens at the Greenmarket (right after spotting Jeffrey Steingarten!). Sal and I ended up having them for brunch, stuffed with a ricotta mixture, dredged in cornmeal, and fried, served alongside egg-white omelets.
Fried Squash Blossoms
Serves 2 generously, 4 as a side
- 8 squash blossoms
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta
- 1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup cornmeal
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Measure out ricotta, then tie up in a cheesecloth over a bowl; let drain at least 2 hours. Remove from cloth, and combine with parmigiano-reggiano, nutmeg, oregano, and salt and pepper, to taste. I left this mixture in the refridgerator overnight, to allow the flavors to meld. When ready to fill the blossoms, gently open the petals and, using a finger to help it along, ease about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture into the blossom. Press petals together to seal in the filling. Set aside.
Pour beaten egg onto a plate. Whisk cornmeal with salt and pepper, to taste, and put onto another plate. Dip the stuffed blossoms, one at a time, into the egg, then dredge in the cornmeal to fully coat.
Heat oil in a skillet; add blossoms, cooking four at a time. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and fry an additional 3 minutes, more if you like a darker, crispier finish. Remove the a paper-towel lined plate, and serve hot.
Comments 2
I read about these over the winter, made a mental note to try them this summer, and tripped over them only a few weeks ago. And were they ever good.
I’ve been keeping an eye out ever since for them. And when I see them again, I will indulge.
Cheers!
Posted 18 Jul 2007 at 11:49 am ¶We saw them at the farmer’s market recently and thought they looked so good we had to try them. Most recipes fried them but I found one that was just dice up the attached squash with some onions, cheese, and mushrooms and spice of your choice (I went with herb de provence) and bake it in a shallow dish with a bit of veggy broth for 15 minutes or so.
They were great. The blossoms held a little crispness that I didn’t expect and had a great flavor.
Posted 24 Jul 2007 at 11:58 am ¶Trackbacks & Pingbacks 1
[...] some reason, this picture of squash blossoms over on food blog Big City, Little Kitchen makes me want to sit out on a sunny deck with a glass of lightly chilled wine and a plate of these [...]
Post a Comment