Author Notes
This is a family recipe. Specifically, it comes from my mother-in-law, who knows a thing or two about Italian cooking.
I look forward to making, and eating these delicious fritters every Summer...and, one of these days mine will come out as perfectly as hers do! —the parsley thief
Ingredients
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8
zucchini flowers
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1
clove garlic, thinly sliced
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1 tablespoon
olive oil
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1 cup
flour
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1 teaspoon
baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
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1 tablespoon
chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
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3 tablespoons
freshly grated Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese
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1
large egg
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1/2 cup
milk
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vegetable oil, for frying
Directions
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Prepare the squash blossoms by inspecting each flower for dirt, or bugs {little critters do like to hide inside them}. Give them a gentle rinse with water, and dry with paper towels. Remove the pistil from inside each flower. I also like to remove the little green spikes from around the stem of the flowers.
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Saute the blossoms with the garlic, and olive oil, in a skillet over medium high heat until softened, and lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl, and add in the chopped basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, egg, and milk. Use a fork to gently beat the ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl, and stir to combine. The mixture should be slightly thicker than a pancake batter. If needed, add in a bit more milk.
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Pour enough vegetable oil into a skillet to coat the bottom by about a 1/4"; heat over medium high heat. Scoop the batter by the heaping tablespoonful, and drop into the hot oil. Use the back of a spoon to flatten each fritter slightly. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the fritter over, and brown the other side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle lightly with some coarse salt, and chopped fresh basil. Serve while hot.
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