Fried Squash Blossoms

Not gonna lie, I’m pretty proud of this one.

These little babies feel so fancy and seemed like they would be a ton of work. Surprisingly, though, they were really simple to throw together and were WELL worth the effort.

Fried squash blossoms and stuffed squash blossoms are one of my favorite Italian dishes—any time I see them on a restaurant menu, I have to order them. And unless you have a garden overflowing with squash and zucchini (I don’t), they’re nearly impossible to get your hands on fresh.

So when I saw them at the farmer’s market last weekend, I pounced. I didn’t know how to prepare them or what I was doing, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to have my very own fancy blossoms. When I got home I looked a few recipes up on Pinterest to get a feel for ingredients, proportions, and how to prep them. The prepping part is easy, just a little exacting—you have to gently separate the flower petals and reach in to pull off the stamen. It’s not hard, but my chunky fingers kept tearing the delicate buds.

I went back and forth on whether to stuff them or not, and decided to split the difference. I had some leftover honey goat cheese, so I softened that, chiffonaded some fresh basil, and stirred that together with a splash of lemon juice and some sea salt. The stuffed ones were out of this world…a solid 10 on the flavor-meter. My only complaint on this recipe is that there was a lot of waste for one person (I stuffed myself, but could only eat so many and they’re not good leftover), so next time I make these will definitely be for a group!

I stuffed about half of my blossoms, partly because I was super curious about how the filling would taste. To make it, soften the honey goat cheese slightly in the microwave (like 10 seconds), then stir the basil, lemon juice, and sea salt in.

Gently remove the stamens from all the flowers, trying not to tear the flowers if possible. For the ones you’re stuffing, scoop a small spoonful of the filling into the center of the flowers, and press the tops together. It doesn’t have to be pretty, you’re battering and frying these babies.

 

Heat an inch or two of oil over medium heat in a large skillet until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350° (or it’s hot, I’m too lazy for a thermometer).

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, then gently whisk in the beer until it’s almost smooth, but don’t overwhisk—you don’t want to deflate the batter (the carbonation is your friend), and some small lumps are okay.

Gently dredge each of the blossoms in the batter, shaking off the excess, then lay them in the oil, without crowding the pan. You’ll want to do a few batches, so don’t batter them all at once.

Cook, flipping once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes total. Keep a close eye on them, they’ll cook super fast.

Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle those bad boys with sea salt and devour while hot. In other news, we answered the question of how many fried squash blossoms I can consume before feeling ill. Answer: about 10.

Fried Squash Blossoms

• Vegetable oil or similar (for frying)
• 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 6 ounces of beer (pilsner or lager best, but I used Negra Modelo; club soda will also work)
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• Squash or zucchini blossoms, stamens removed
• Filling: honey goat cheese, finely-chopped basil, splash of lemon juice, sea salt
• Sea salt

If you’re stuffing the blossoms (I did about half of them), stir together the honey goat cheese (you may want to soften it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds), basil, lemon juice, and sea salt. Gently remove the stamens from the flowers, trying not to tear the flowers if possible. Scoop a small spoonful of the filling into the center of the flowers, and press the tops together.

In a large skillet, heat an inch or two of oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350° (or it’s hot, I’m too lazy for a thermometer). Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl, then gently whisk in beer until it’s almost smooth, but don’t overwhisk—you don’t want to deflate the batter, and some small lumps are okay.

One by one, dredge the blossoms in batter, shaking off the excess; gently lay them in the oil, without crowding the pan. You’ll want to do a few batches. Cook, flipping once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes total. Keep a close eye on them, they’ll cook super fast. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt and devour while hot.

Adapted from this Epicurious recipe