Fior Di Zucca

Fior Di Zucca

Translated as courgette flowers stuffed with ricotta and anchovies, this is a classic Italian dish to serve as an exotic side or starter. Don't be intimidated at the thought of working with these pretty plants – this recipe makes it super simple.
Serves
Serves 4
Total Time
30 Minutes
Ingredients
150g of rice flour
200ml of sparkling water
350g of ricotta
1 tbsp of olive oil
12 courgette flowers
12 anchovy fillets in oil, drained
2lt of sunflower oil
2 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
1 bunch of chives, finely chopped
10 basil leaves, to garnish
Salt and pepper
Method
Step 1

In a bowl, combine the flour, sparkling water and 2 pinches of salt. In another bowl, mix together the ricotta and olive oil. Season with more salt and pepper.

Step 2

Carefully rinse the courgette flowers in cold water. Open the flowers and remove the pistils. Fill a piping (pastry) bag with the ricotta mixture and use it to stuff the flowers. Add an anchovy to each flower, then close the flowers by twisting the tip gently to avoid tearing them. Dip the flowers into the batter, turning them to coat, then shake them to remove any excess.

Step 3

In a deep fryer or large heavy-based pan, heat the sunflower oil to 160°C/325°F. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, you can test the oil temperature by dropping a few grains of salt into it: if the oil is hot enough, small bubbles will form. Fry the flowers for 5 minutes until golden brown.

Step 4

Drain them on paper towels, then put them into a dish. Sprinkle with the parmesan and chives and garnish with some basil leaves.

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