The best recipe for stuffed Zucchini Blossoms is from Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook: My Father’s Daughter.  Like all the recipes in her book, it is easy to follow, calls for good ingredients, and results in a delicious dish.

You can find Zucchini Blossoms at the Bergerac market on Saturdays, 1€ for a basket of 15 or so. Pretty good deal. The Zucchini Blossoms are most abundant in August and September, so look out for them then.  For our Culinary Tour of the Dordogne, with Bay Area food author and former Chez Panisse Chef Janet Fletcher, which will be held September 18 – 26, 2012  …. be sure to look out for these Zucchini gems!

Recipe notes: It is difficult to grate fresh mozzarella, chopping works fine. Experimentation with stuffing is encouraged, try blue cheese and basil.

Zucchini Flowers with Anchovies and Mozzarella
copied from:
My Father’s Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flower

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup sparkling water or seltzer

Coarse salt

6 ounces fresh mozzarella (water packed)
coarsely grated

6 anchovy fillets finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

20 small zucchini flowers

Safflower or peanut oil, for frying

1 lemon, halved, for serving

 

Whisk the flour together with the olive oil in a large bowl – the mixture will be pebbly.  Whisk the fizzy water into the mixture until the batter is smooth.  Season with a large pinch of salt, cover with plastic, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together the mozzarella, anchovies, pepper, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Carefully open each zucchini flower and stuff it with a generous tablespoon of filling, twisting the top ever so gently just to keep everything inside – you want to try not the tear the flowers, but a break or two is inevitable, so don’t drive yourself crazy.  At this point, the batter  and the flowers can be set aside for up to a couple of hours.

When you’re ready to eat, heat up an inch of oil in a large cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan with a bit of weight over medium-high heat.  When a drop of water or a small cube of bread sizzles on contact, dip each zucchini flower into the batter just to coat it and carefully slip it into the oil.  Fill the pan with as many flowers as will fit in a single layer without overcrowding.  Brown the flowers on both sides (about 45 seconds a side) and then drain on paper towels. Serve hot, squeezing a bit of lemon juice and sprinkling salt over each.

Serves 4 : Active and total preparation time: 45 minutes

My Father’s Daughter, Gwyneth Paltrow, Grand Central Publishing, 2011

 

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