A few months ago, I asked for reader suggestions on ingredients to use in an upcoming post. I received a few fun suggestions, one of which was squash blossoms. I had never tasted a squash blossom before let alone cooked one. It was an ingredient I had been curious about, but not one I had read much about. After traveling for most of the summer, I had not frequented my local farmer's market in quite some time. So my first visit back was exciting! Peaches and tomatoes were in season and the flowers were in full bloom. The sun was shining and everyone seemed exceptionally happy to be strolling through the vendors. I know I was. As a entered the market, one of the very first pieces of produce that caught my eye was a small pint of squash blossoms. They were just so precious and beautiful I couldn't imagine that you would want to eat them. They went directly into my bag because I knew that I wanted to try them and I did not want to disappoint my loyal reader (who ahem, may or may not be my sister).
I had found a recipe at sauveur.com that used anchovies and mozzarella to stuff the blossoms. Now talk about ingredients I have never used before. Anchovies were so far off my radar, I wasn't sure if I could even purchase them in the grocery store. So trying to stay true to my adventurous spirit, I was going to really go out of my cooking comfort zone. I wanted to try and keep the ingredients as fresh and simple as possible so I stopped by the local cheese vendor. He was carrying fresh mozz but my eye strayed towards burrata cheese, which is a a fresh mozzarella stuffed with ricotta. I grabbed it because how delicious does that sound!
With all of this my adapted recipe was formed.
Stuffed Squash Blossoms
12 squash blossoms, stems and stamens removed, rinsed and patted dry
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup unbleached flour
fresh ground black pepper
1 large ball of Burrata cheese
6 canned anchovies drained of the oil, chopped
Vegetable or Canola oil for frying
Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pot (you know it is hot and ready when you put the bottom of a wooden spoon in the oil and small bubbles appear). Cut the burrata cheese into cubes/small slices and in a small bowl combine with anchovies. Stuff each squash blossom with cheese/anchovy mixture and carefully twist petals to seal the blossom. In a shallow bowl combine flour and black pepper. In a second shallow bowl beat the egg. In batches coat blossoms with flour, dip in egg, then covered in flour a second time. Fry 3-4 blossoms at a time for 3 minutes each side or until golden brown and crispy. Immediately, place blossoms on a paper towel lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt.
These tasty little delights are best served right away. The crisp outside and the soft velvety salty inside make these blossoms so delicious. The actual squash blossom has a nice delicate flavor and texture to it. The burrata and anchovy add the saltiness (so beware you don't need to add much when sprinkling over the finished product). This was definitely easier then I had imagined and the taste was superb. The fresh ingredients and simple recipe made for the perfect lunch. Serve with a tart lemonade and a side salad and you have a beautiful end of summer meal. I felt I could have been sitting on a sidewalk cafe in Italy somewhere...if only. Tara thanks for the great idea! I hope you give it a try, I think you'll love it.
Be on the look out for my next post, Blueberry Cream Pie!
