Fried Squash Blossoms Snack Food

TEMPURA FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Tempura Batter:
• Sift together all of the dry ingredients. Whisk in the soda water, a little at a time, until the right consistency is achieved. The batter should coat the back of a spoon, but some excess batter should run off the spoon. Allow to rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour before use.
• Goat Cheese Filling:
• Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Shape the mixture into 1 tablespoon balls. Make sure the squash blossoms are well cleaned. Open the flowers and insert 1 goat cheese ball in each flower. Gently press the filling into the base of the flower. Cover with the petals and pinch the top to seal. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat a fryer or a deep pot halfway filled with peanut oil to 375 degrees F.
• Hold the squash blossoms by the stem. Dip each into the tempura batter, making sure to coat completely. Let any excess batter drip off. Place the blossom in the oil and fry until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, turning often to brown evenly. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
• Place some of the Tomato Sauce on the bottom of a plate. Top with 2 squash blossoms and garnish with Fried Basil leaves.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Lower the heat and cook until the tomatoes start to disintegrate and mixture is of sauce consistency, about 15 minutes. Add the thyme, basil, and remaining olive oil and mix well.
• Heat about 1/2-inch of the oil in a steep-sided saute pan to 350 degrees F. Or heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Pat the basil leaves dry to remove any surface water. Carefully drop the basil leaves in the hot oil. The oil will spit and splatter as the moisture in the leaves fries. Fry for 10 seconds or just until the leaves start to become translucent. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.

FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS SNACK

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic salt and cumin. In another bowl, beat egg, milk and oil; add to dry ingredients and stir until smooth. In a skillet, heat 2 in. of oil to 375°. Dip blossoms into batter and fry in oil a few at a time until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm until serving.

FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Use your fingers to carefully dig a hole on the side of the zucchini flower, opening it enough to dig out with you pointer the pollen stem that is inside. Gently rinse the flowers under a sprinkle of cold water, paying attention not to damage the thin petals, then lay on a rag and pat dry.
• Fill a piping bag with the ricotta cheese and pipe 2 to 3 tablespoons of the ricotta into each flower. Twist the petals to close tightly so the cheese doesn't escape during frying.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, parsley, a couple of generous pinches of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Slowly start pouring the beer into the mix, using a whisk or a fork to make the batter; mix to eliminate any lumps.
• Add the vegetable oil to the bottom of a heavy skillet until it comes up the sides 2 inches, making sure the oil is not more than halfway up the sides. Heat the vegetable oil until hot.
• Dip the filled flowers through the batter then carefully add to the hot oil. Fry, flipping halfway through frying, until the blossoms are golden and crisp, 2 minutes.
• Remove and place on a large dish lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt to taste while still hot.

FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• In a bowl of an electric mixer blend together cheese, sour cream and marjoram. Put mixture into a pastry bag and chill for a few minutes.
• Stuff the squash blossoms with the cheese mixture.
• Mix together eggs and water in a pie pan and set aside.
• In a seperate pie pan sift together flour, cornstarch, cumin, coriander, salt, chile powder and cinnamon.
• Dip each squash blossom int the egg wash and then in the flour mixture.
• Heat up oil to 340-degrees in fryer or large skillet suitable for deep frying.
• Deep fry squash blossoms until light brown (2 minutes), drain on paper towels.
• Arrange blossoms on a platter and serve with your favorite salsa.

FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Divide mozzarella into 12 equal pieces. Carefully open 1 blossom, and insert 1 anchovy half and 1 mozzarella piece. Twist shut; transfer to a plate, and cover with a damp towel. Repeat with remaining blossoms, anchovies, and mozzarella.
• Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Whisk in sparkling water. (Batter will be thick; add more water if needed for a pancake-batter-like consistency.) Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast-iron) until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 to 360 degrees. Dip blossoms into batter. Working in batches, fry blossoms, rolling in oil to coat, until lightly browned and crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plates; season with salt.

FRIED STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice-cold water. Drop squash blossoms into the boiling water until slightly wilted, 30 to 45 seconds; transfer immediately into the cold water to chill. Remove to paper towels to drain.
• Mix goat cheese, egg yolk, Gruyere cheese, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl; stir until smooth. Spoon filling into a heavy, resealable 1-quart plastic bag, squeeze out the air, and seal the bag. Cut a small corner off the bag.
• Gently insert the cut corner of the bag all the way to the bottom of the open end of a blossom and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling inside. Pick up petals and drape them up over the filling, covering filling completely. Fold any excess petals over the top of the filled blossom to keep them out of the way. Refrigerate filled squash blossoms until cheese is set and firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Combine self-rising flour and cornstarch in a mixing bowl; whisk in ice-cold water, a little at a time, until batter is smooth and has the thickness of pancake batter.
• Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1 inch into a heavy skillet (such as a cast iron pan) and place over medium heat. Heat oil until a thermometer placed into the oil, not touching the bottom, reads 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). A drop of batter carefully dripped into the oil should sizzle immediately.
• Remove squash blossoms from refrigerator and dust lightly with all-purpose flour on all sides. Shake off excess flour and dip blossoms in batter. Let excess batter drip off.
• Gently lay coated squash blossoms in the hot oil on their sides; cook about 6 at a time until pale golden brown, 1 minute on the first side and 30 seconds to 1 minute on the remaining sides. Let cool slightly before serving.

BATTER FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Blend milk, egg, flour, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper with a fork; beat the batter until smooth.
• Place flattened squash blossoms in batter, stir gently; allow 10 minute soaking time.
• Heat oil in a cast iron skillet until hot; fry batter coated blossoms until golden; turn once, drain on paper towels, place on plate and garnish.