Garden Stuffed Courgette Flowers

Garden Stuffed Courgette Flowers

I picked these from my parent's garden last week. They would also be great with a few sneaky anchovies tucked in.

Ingredients:

Serves 3/4 as an antipasti
200g baby courgettes
6 courgette flowers, stigmas removed
1l sunflower oil

Filling:
180g ricotta cheese
30g Grana Padano, grated
Zest of 1 lemon + 2 tbsp juice
1/4 tsp grated garlic

Batter:
150g 00 flour
2 tbsp olive oil
125ml warm water
1 egg white, beaten to light and fluffy

Yoghurt:
6 tbsp plain yoghurt
1 tsp harissa paste
3 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt

Add all the filling ingredients together into a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Very carefully stuff the flowers with the filling and fold the petals round the filling with a twist at the ends.

Mix all the yoghurt ingredients together into a small bowl.

In a large bowl add everything for the batter except the beaten whites. Mix everything together and then when ready to fry carefully fold in the beaten whites.

Add oil to a large saucepan and slowly bring up to about 180C or you can add a pinch of flour and, when it gently sizzles, you are good to go.

Carefully dip 4 of the flowers in the batter, one at a time. Place flower tip down first slowly into the oil before letting go. Fry on all sides for about 2-3mins.

Place on to some paper towel and continue with the rest. Do the same with the baby courgettes frying for 3.5mins.

Serve with extra lemon, yoghurt on the side and extra salt and pepper on top.