Best recipe
Crispy Zucchini Flowers Stuffed with Ricotta and Mint – Jamie Oliver
About
Italian: Fiori di zucchini ripieni (stuffed zucchini flowers)
I’ve chosen this recipe as a bit of quirk – for something different. I’ve always wanted to try them but I’m yet to see them on a menu.
Zucchini flowers are usually stuffed with a ricotta and herbs, dipped in a light batter and fried.
If you’ve ever grown zucchinis, you’ll know how quickly they multiply and so cooking the flowers or blossoms is a kind way of slowing production down. Pick flowers in the middle of the day, when they are fully open. If they’re male flowers it will have a stamen, whereas the females produce the fruit on the vine and they have pistils. Blossoms need to be eaten the same day they are picked or bought from the market (within hours is best).
To remove the stamens from the zucchini blossoms carefully insert your thumb and index finger into the flower without tearing it and pinch off the stamens
- Meera Freeman, Cooking Class
The batter should be the consistency of pouring cream.
Multimedia
- Stuffed zucchini (kousa mahshi) video – Judy Saba, Food Safari
- Zucchini flowers stuffed with salmon mousse, chestnut mushrooms video – Javier Codina
Variations
- Classic fiori fritti – Nigel Slater
- Stuffed courgette flowers (Fiori di Zucchini Ripieni) – Antonio Carluccio
- Zucchini flower, mint and pecorino penne – Emma Knowles
- Zucchini flower tart – Andy Harris
- Zucchini flowers with ricotta, parmesan, and mint and anchovy sauce – Lisa Featherby
About | 100 Recipes | Outtakes
I enjoyed reading your recipe. I too tried stuffing the zucchini flowers last year but it was a little harrowing as I was on holiday and didn’t have a recipe with me (or internet access). They turned out well and I felt a sense of acconplishment. I have a great Mexican recipe for zucchini flower soup (in a cook book). If you are keen, email me and I can send it to you. Anyway – keep on cooking!