Frittelle di fiori di zucca (Zucchini Blossom Pancakes)

Frank23 July 2022antipasti, summer41 Comments

I love zucchini blossoms. But they might just be the most elusive of any summer produce. In the seventeen years I’ve lived in my current area, I’ve never found them in any local supermarket. Not once. But they occasionally—very occasionally—make an appearance at farm markets. So when I recently got a newsletter from one of our local markets mentioning they were on sale (Sundays only!) I rushed out to buy some.

Surely the most popular way to enjoy zucchini blossoms in Italian cookery is stuffed and fried. They are also lovely stuffed and baked in the Ligurian fashion. But stuffing a zucchini blossom can be rather fussy business. And only the freshest of zucchini blossoms lend themselves to the treatment.

Today’s recipe for frittelle di fiori di zucca, or Zucchini Blossom Pancakes, eliminates the fuss without sacrificing any of the taste. You fold the trimmed and shredded blossoms into a loose batter, enriched with ricotta and grated parmigiano-reggiano, then fry them in olive oil. They come out crispy and golden brown on the outside, and pillowy soft on the inside. A fabulous antipasto that sings of summer.

Ingredients

Makes about 6 fritters

8 zucchini blossoms
100g (3-1/2 oz) ricotta
1 heaping Tbs of freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
1 egg
2 heaping Tbs flour (about 20g)
60 ml (1/4 cup) milk, or as much as you need
Salt
Olive oil for frying

Directions

Trim the zucchini blossoms of their green base, then let the stamens drop out from inside the blossoms. Cut the trimmed blossoms into strips.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the ricotta up until soft, then add the grated cheese, eggs, flour and salt. Mix together, then whisk in enough milk so you wind up with a smooth, pourable but not runny batter. Fold in the cut up blossoms so they are completely covered in batter. Let rest at least 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat enough olive oil about 1cm (3/8 inch) deep until hot but not smoking. Add dollops of the batter by heaping spoonfuls into the oil and fry until cooked through and golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.

Once done, drain the frittelle on paper towels. Serve while still warm.

Notes

Zucchini blossoms don’t last very long. Perhaps that’s why they’re not sold in supermarkets? Ideally, you should cook them the same day you buy them. But you can extend their useful life by a few days by storing them in the fridge in air-tight containers between layers of paper towels. And even if your blossoms have wilted a bit, making them well nigh impossible to stuff, they will do just fine for this recipe.

The most iconic recipes for frittelle di fiori di zucca omit the ricotta from the batter. But I like it. Not only does the ricotta add lovely flavor that complements the zucchini blossoms perfectly, but it produces a batter that’s lighter, more delicate and, for those who care about such things, a bit lower in carbs. Classic recipes often lighten the batter another way, by leavening it with yeast. The batter is left to rise for a couple of hours before frying, producing a quite puffy fritter rather than a flat pancake. You can use this recipe for frittelle di zucchine and just substitute cut up blossoms for the shredded zucchini.

Zucchini blossoms, ricotta and eggs can also be baked in a pastry crust to make a lovely torta salata or savory pie, but that’s a recipe for another day.

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