Right now courgettes planted in spring are giving a bounty full of blossoms and they are sooo yummy and pretty to eat together with the baby courgettes. I just wish I could grown them in my urban garden but alas not enough sunlight.
I LOVE flowers! In the garden, in a vase, in my tea cup and on my plate. I guess I was raised eating flowers, my dad was one of the first Michelin star chefs in Belgium growing his own fresh herbs and blossoms at home. I was in charge in summer to pick 40 blooms and leaves of each every day. I just loved the colourful plates it made, sooo pretty.
Today I grown as much as my north facing terrace will let blossom. I am successful with little violets, roses and capucines. I sowed calendula and tagettes this spring and nothing came up alas.
I shop bought these gorgeous courgette blossoms and last year I posted a recipes stuffing them with ricotta cheese ( see recipe HERE) this time I wanted to lightly batter them and make tempura.
TEMPURA – This Japanese dish is where vegetables and seafood are coated in a batter of iced or sparkling water and flour and deep-fried. Traditionally the water an flour are mixed with chopsticks in small batches and vegetables are coated before frying.
STEP 1: prepare the batter, cut the courgettes lengthwise in sticks.
STEP 2: dip the courgette sticks int the batter and fry in vegetable oil on each sides for a a minute.
STEP 3: carefully dip the blossoms into the batter and fry in vegetable oil.
STEP 4: sprinkle flour de set and serve immediately.
My tempura of courgette blossoms
Ingredients
- 4 courgette blossoms
- 4 baby courgettes
- 100 gr flour
- 100 ml iced water or sparkling water
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Gentle open the flower and remove the stamens or pistils and discard. Rinse delicately with water and check for dirt or bugs.
- in small bowl mix half of the flour with a little splash of water, mix with the chop sticks. Just add a little bit of water and mix, the consistency you are looking for is a thick sauce versus a runny liquid.
- Heat the peanut or vegetable oil. Dip the flowers into the batter and deep fry. I also pour a little of batter on top of the flower when dipped in the oil. Turn with chop sticks and cook for a few seconds.
- Remove from oil and let drain on kitchen towel. Sprinkle with some fleur de sel and serve. use the same method for the baby courgettes sliced lengthwise into fries.
Notes
on www.leeksandhighheels.com by Sandra Slawinski
Written and photographed by Sandra Slawinski without commercial deals.
