Zucchini Blossoms!

Sunday our friends Anthony and Kristen had us over for brunch. While in their fridge I saw they had one of my all time favorite summertime treats... zucchini blossoms. There is no better edible flower on the planet! They are light and delicate, and best of all the traditional way to serve them is deep fried!! Oh, and did I mention that you stuff them with cheese too???

I was so pleased to see that they had been cooking with them and couldn't wait to hear what they did with them. Anthony decided to use them as a late night snack fried in a beer batter. I couldn't believe that he and Kristen were able to hold back and not eat them all! Secretly I was hopping they would be on the brunch menu, but they weren't. Although the brunch they did make was so good, nothing needed to be added!

So to add another surprise as we were leaving they gave me the rest of they're blossoms! I couldn't wait to make them!! The next day I was going to Jersey to visit my mom and my God Child, and as I was leaving P2 asked why I wasn't bringing them?

Genius idea!!!!!

I threw them in my ever popular NYC summer "green" carry all bag, and I headed to Penn Station!

On the way to the house we stopped off at the amazing Italian Market called Dolce & Clamente for some fresh mozzarella, and then headed home.

My plan was to make them the way I saw my new fave "celeb" chef David Rocco cook them sans the anchovies. Mom, seems to agree with 99% of the world that anchovies are gross. I can swing them once in a while. But for mom, today no anchovies!

A little while after I settled in and got to see my God baby, I noticed the rumbles in my stomach decide to make themselves known. So I started to prepare. I was mildly nervous, because I have never made these before, and for me frying either works out perfect or ends as a disaster. I only had one chance to make this perfect!

I started with the flowers. You can't wash them because you will destroy them. All you can do is check them for bugs and give them a good blow.

Then make the batter:

1/2 cup flower

1/2 a cup of club soda

2 eggs

Mix the eggs and the soda together and then add the flower. It should be a very liquidity batter.

OH WAIT!!!

Heat up your oil!!! I used Olive. Heated till... well hot. I had no thermometer. You should have started with that step first. Sorry.

Ok, so your oil is hot, your flowers are clean, your batter is made, so last thing to do is stuff them!!! You can use whatever you would like. I really just like the gooey salty mozzarella.

So depending on how big your blossoms are, you cut pieces of cheese to fit the flower. You want it to be a good size, but not so big that it will pour out all over while it fries.

OK.. So we are ready to dip and fry!!!!!

Take your flower stuffed with cheese and roll it around in the batter. Take it out and let most of the excess drip off. Then pop them in the oil!!!!!

They cook quick so stay alert. This is not the time to go pop open the Prosseco! Keep dipping and adding but keep an eye on the ones in the oil as you go. They really only need about a minute on each side. Once they are nice and golden flip them until the whole thing looks golden. Once they reach perfection remove them from the oil, place them on paper towels and immediately salt them up. I'd add some chopped fresh flat leaf parsley as well, ( I like parsley on everything) but I didn't have any.

Then that is it. You will be ready to eat almost as soon as you start to cook!

Give them about 30 seconds to cool. A minute if you have more restraint than me and then go for it!!!! I wish that I was able to take more and better pictures for you but everything happened a lot faster than I expected. Even the eating. By the time I thought about taking a pic, we had eaten most!!

Please go to you r local farmers market pic some and give this a try. It's very delicious, so inexpensive and exotic enough that you will definitely impress your friends!!
If you try it and get some better pics, send them over to me! I'd love to see them!!

XOXO
P