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Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

If you can get your hands on fresh zucchini blossoms that have been picked early in the day from small zucchinis, make sure they don’t have any live bees in them. I used to work on a produce farm as a kid, and once in a while we would receive a special order for a bunch of these blossoms—bees loved to hang out inside the blossoms in the early morning.
Zucchini blossoms are delicate and flavorful, and when stuffed with a creamy cheese filling, they become an elegant, small-sized appetizer.
When selecting zucchini blossoms, look for fresh ones that are still attached to the stem on baby zucchini. The blossoms should be bright yellow and fragrant, with no signs of wilting or discoloration.
The batter used in this recipe is a simple mixture of flour, cold sparkling water, salt, and pepper. The addition of sparkling water gives the batter a light and crispy texture that complements the creamy ricotta filling of the zucchini blossoms.

Ingredients

  • 16 zucchini blossoms, freshly-picked, washed gently under cold water
  • 1.25 cups of ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup of parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • ¼ cup of fresh basil, finely sliced
  • ½ tsp of Kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp of freshly-ground black pepper
  • Zest of ½ lemon
  • Juice of ¼ lemon
  • 1 whole egg
  • ½ cup of all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup of cold sparkling water
  • ½ tsp of Kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp of freshly-ground black pepper
  • 2 cups of olive oil, for frying the stuffed zucchini blossoms
  • 12 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped, as garnish

Instructions

  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, chopped basil, Kosher salt, freshly-ground black pepper, whole whisked egg, and lemon zest and lemon juice until combined.
  • Gently open each zucchini blossom, and fill each blossom with about 1 heaped tablespoon of the ricotta mixture.
  • *Do not overfill the blossoms at this stage—use just a tiny bit more than 1 Tbsp per blossom, depending on the size of the blossom.
  • Gently twist the top of each blossom to seal in the filling as best you can.
  • In a shallow dish, mix together the all-purpose flour, sparkling water, Kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper until a smooth batter forms.
  • Heat about 1/4 inch of olive oil in a large frying skillet over medium-high heat until it is 375F.
  • Dip each stuffed zucchini blossom in the batter, shaking off any excess, and carefully place it in the hot oil.
  • Quickly fry the zucchini blossoms in batches until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes per side.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked zucchini blossoms to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off any excess oil.
  • Serve the stuffed zucchini blossoms hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves and a sprinkle of salt.

Notes

These are definitely best when eaten immediately after they have come out of the fryer and been salted and drained.