Fresh Blossoms

Saturday night, I had the pleasure of dining at The Orange Squirrel in Bloomfield, NJ again. It had been several months since I had eaten Chef Francesco Palmieri’s inventive and flavorful creations and once again, it was a great meal.

Blossom Dredging

I absolutely adore zucchini blossoms and was thrilled to also see them served up as an amuse-bouche paired with a roasted plum topped with a hazelnut and Gorgonzola Dolce. It was a simply-presented dish yet it was complex in texture and flavor. When Chef Palmieri came out of the kitchen to present the amuse, I am certain he could see my enthusiasm for the blossoms and gave me a box of fresh blooms to take home when I left. What an amazing treat! The blossoms, much like most of the produce at The Orange Squirrel, are sourced from the Palmieri garden just a few blocks away from the restaurant.

Blossom Frying

I left with my box of blooms like a kid leaving a candy store and I knew I would need to create something special with such a precious present. I opted for Fried Zucchini Blossoms – perhaps the most amazing fried food item ever.

Ingredients:

• Any neutral-flavor vegetable oil (I use canola)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 12 ounces club soda, chilled
• 12-24 zucchini blossoms
• Sea salt

Fried Blossoms

Directions:

1. In a deep, heavy pot, bring about 2″ of oil to 350 degrees (use a candy/deep fry thermometer).
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and the salt. Add the club soda to the flour mixture, whisking until just incorporated with a few lumps. Over-whisking is not your friend here.
3. Remove the stamens from the blossoms then dip each one in the batter, making sure to allow any excess batter to drip off. The goal is a thin coating.
4. Place a few blossoms in the hot oil, ensuring the pot is not over-crowded causing the temperature to drop. Cool oil = greasy fried foods. Cook the blossoms for 3 minutes, turning them once, then remove them to a paper towel-lined place. Immediately sprinkle sea salt on the blossoms as they come out of the oil.

Batter is enough for up to 24 blossoms.