Fried zucchini blossoms with goat cheese and zucchini pesto
Fried zucchini blossoms with goat cheese and zucchini pesto recipe in the zucchini category
Recipe ingredients:
- Blossoms:
- 24 zucchini blossoms
- 1/2 cup goat cheese
- 1 1/2 quarts olive oil
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chilled seltzer water or ice water
- Sea salt to taste
- Cayenne pepper
- Zucchini pesto:
- 1 medium zucchini, about 8 ounces
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 30 basil leaves, approximately 3/4 cup loosely packed
- 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 6 ounces extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Recipe method:
- For the blossoms:
- Carefully stuff each zucchini blossom with 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese.
- Fold over the petals to form an envelope.
- In a deep skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil to 375 degrees F.
- Meanwhile put the flour in a mixing bowl.
- Pour in the seltzer a little at a time, whisking constantly to ensure a smooth batter.
- Season with salt and cayenne.
- When the oil is properly heated, dip a stuffed blossom into the batter to coat it evenly, scraping off any excess.
- Fry until crisp and golden, about 30 seconds per side.
- Remove to paper towels to drain.
- Repeat process with all blossoms, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet and maintaining the proper oil temperature.
- For the pesto:
- Quarter zucchini and cut into 1 inch pieces.
- Blanch zucchini for 2 minutes in salted boiling water, and then shock in ice bath to preserve color.
- Drain well and pat dry with cloth.
- Place blanched zucchini, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, basil leaves, garlic, in food processor and start to puree.
- With the motor running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until the pesto emulsifies.
- Season with salt and pepper taste.
Tags: fried, blossoms, goat, cheese, pesto, recipe, zucchini, recipes, cooking