A recipe my mom told me on the phone some years ago inspire these fried stuffed squash blossoms. I added a little twist to this tasty appetizer by combining a little Serrano pepper and onion to the Ricotta mix.
Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Cooking with Squash blossoms is more common in Central Mexico during the rainy season, although you can find them almost everywhere in the country were people like to use them for the famous squash blossoms quesadillas and other dishes. According to Pre-Hispanic codices, Squash blossoms were part of the Mexican gastronomy before the Spaniards arrived in Mexico.
But, before I continue, let me tell you these flowers are delicate and soft with a very mild flavor resembling that of the squash. And, just in case you have some more questions about these natural wonders, read more about them below.
When is the squash blossoms season?
Depending on the climate zone where you live, the plant starts blooming around late spring up to late summer. We are talking between May and October. However, in warmer weather, they will still thrive during the late days of the fall season.
Where to buy Squash Blossoms?
I know it is not easy to find squash blossoms everywhere, check your Organic Market, like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, go to your farmer markets, ask the vendors to bring you some the next time, if they sell zucchini, chances are they have plenty of blossoms in their vegetable garden, or the Latin Stores. I was surprised that now you can even buy them online at Amazon and whole foods.
How to store squash blossoms?
As soon as you bring them from the store or the farmers market and before cooking the blossoms, rinse them with fresh water, pad dry with a kitchen towel and remove the stamen. I usually store them in the fridge in a plastic container with a lid, with a lot of room for the blossoms. Do not overcrowd them. They last about 3-4 days in good shape. Tip: sometimes I recycle the strawberries container and line with a paper towel to store the blossoms there. Works great!
How to cook with squash blossoms?
Well, besides making these stuffed squash blossoms, they are usually a part of a dish; you can add them to salads, quesadillas, soups, stews, tamales, pasta, and even pizzas. And in case I didn’t mention before, you can eat them raw, and also use them as a garnish for soups. Just remember to treat them gently and cook for a quick –short time or add them almost at the end of your cooking.
Mexican Fried Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Stuffed Squash Blossoms Mexican Style
INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS:
- Wash the flowers and dry them with a kitchen towel very carefully. Remove the pistil with the tip of the kitchen Scissors. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat, add the onion and pepper, and sauté for one or two minutes, only until the onion looks transparent.
- Add the onion and pepper mixture to a bowl with the ricotta cheese and chopped parsley. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.
- Stuff the flowers very carefully with the help of a small spoon. The already filled flowers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before frying.
- To prepare the batter, mix in a bowl, one large egg, 1/3 cup of flour, ¼ cup of clear beer. (If you do not have a beer, use milk and a 1/3-teaspoon of baking powder.) Mix everything well.
- Heat the oil to medium-low temperature since the flowers are very delicate.
- As soon as the oil is hot, grab each flower from its stem and submerge in the batter mixture to cover completely, next step place the flower in the oil, and repeat this process with the other flowers trying not to pile them in the pan.
Cook for a minute and a half or until you see the light brown color, turn and cook in the same way. Remove and place the fried stuffed squash blossoms on a plate covered with paper napkins or on a wire rack.
A recipe my mom told me on the phone some years ago inspire these fried stuffed squash blossoms. I added a little twist to this tasty appetizer by combining a little Serrano pepper and onion to the Ricotta mix.
- 16 Squash Blossoms
- 2 tablespoons chopped white onion
- 1 Serrano pepper minced optional
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1- cup ricotta cheese
- 1 Large egg
- 1/3- cup flour
- ¼ cup of beer
- Salt and pepper
- Oil for frying
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Wash the flowers and dry them with a kitchen towel very carefully. Remove the pistil with the tip of the kitchen Scissors.
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Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat, add the onion and pepper, and sauté for one or two minutes, only until the onion looks transparent.
-
Add the onion and pepper mixture to a bowl with the ricotta cheese and chopped parsley. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.
-
Stuff the flowers very carefully with the help of a small spoon. The already filled flowers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before frying.
-
To prepare the batter, mix in a bowl, one large egg, 1/3 cup of flour, ¼ cup of clear beer. (If you do not have a beer, use milk and a 1/3-teaspoon of baking powder.) Mix everything well.
-
Heat the oil to medium-low temperature since the flowers are very delicate.
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As soon as the oil is hot, grab each flower from its stem and submerge in the batter mixture to cover completely, next step place the flower in the oil, and repeat this process with the other flowers trying not to pile them in the pan.
- Goat cheese is also used instead of ricotta.
- You can use purple onions or green onions, instead of white onions.
- Other options, if you do not have parsley is to use cilantro, Epazote or even oregano.
Serve with a tomato sauce. Click this link for the tomato recipe.
Enjoy!
Made it tonight and it was great! Loved the beer batter. I did make some modifications used goat cheese instead of ricotta, substituted jalapeño and cilantro in place of serrano pepper and parsley. I also added Jamon serrano by rolling the goat cheese into the ham which made it easier to stuff. Served with green rice with saturated zucchini. Delish!