Fried zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese

Votes: 1

Time: 30 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 12

Nutritional value per serving:

Calories 175, total fat 13 G., saturated fats 3 G., proteins 4 G., carbohydrates 11 G., fiber 0 G., cholesterol 11 mg, sodium 175 mg, sugar 0 G.

Tender zucchini flowers stuffed with a cheese filling and then lightly fried in batter until crispy and golden brown are a wonderful summer treat, Italian style. For the filling, try to find high-quality whole-milk ricotta at your local Italian grocery store.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

12 large zucchini flowers
3/4 cup fresh whole milk ricotta
1/4 tbsp. grated mozzarella (about 30 gr.)
2 tbsp. l. grated parmesan
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 and 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1.5 cups chilled seltzer water
Marinara sauce, for filing

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, lemon zest, basil

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Prepare the zucchini florets for the filling by carefully opening the petals and removing the stamens. Set the florets aside.
Filling:

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a zip-lock plastic bag and snip off a small corner.

Open the flower petals and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling inside (do not overfill). Gently twist the ends of the petals to seal the filling inside. Repeat with the remaining flowers and filling.
In a large nonstick frying pan, add about 2.5 cm of vegetable oil and heat to 170°C (350°F). If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer, drop a piece of bread into the oil; if it sizzles and browns after a few seconds, the oil is hot. Line the pan with paper towels.
Batter:

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and 0.5 teaspoon salt. Add seltzer water until smooth.
When the oil is hot, dip the florets one by one into the batter, letting any excess batter drip back into the bowl. Place the florets in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. Fry, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, 2-3 minutes per side.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a lined baking sheet to drain excess fat, and fry the remaining stuffed flowers in the same manner. Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping.

Note

If you buy ricotta at the supermarket, add another 1-2 tablespoons, place in a sieve lined with cheesecloth, and refrigerate for a couple of hours to remove excess liquid.