Ingredients
Flowers
- 16courgette flowers, male if possible
- a bowl of cold water, for rinsing
Batter
- 150 gplain flour
- 1egg, separated
- 200 mlvery cold sparkling water
- or 200 ml cold beer
- 1/2 teaspoonsalt
- 1 tablespoonolive oil
To fry
- neutral oil, for deep frying
To serve
- flaky sea salt
- lemon wedges
Directions
- Shake or blow them out gently. Pinch it off at the base and discard it. Trim the stems to about two centimetres. Many cooks do not wash them at all. Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the egg yolk and the olive oil. Pour in the very cold sparkling water gradually.
- Whisk it just enough to combine. The batter should be thin, like single cream. Whisk the egg white to soft peaks separately. Fold it gently into the batter just before frying.
- Use the batter immediately once the white is in. Heating the oil needs real care. Pour oil into a deep pan to about six centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil.
- Heat it to about 180C and check with a thermometer. A drop of batter should sizzle and rise at once. Hold each flower gently by its stem. Dip it into the batter and turn it to coat it. Let the excess drip off for a second. Lower it into the hot oil, stem last.
- Fry three or four at a time and no more. Fry them for about ninety seconds on each side. Turn them over once with tongs. They should be pale gold rather than deep brown.
- Lift them onto a wire rack over a tray. Salt them immediately with flaky sea salt. Salt sticks to hot oil and slides off cold fritters.
- Let the oil recover between batches. Serving them is done immediately. Pile them onto a warm serving plate. Serve fresh lemon wedges alongside. They are best within two minutes of leaving the pan.
Technique
- Courgette flowers are eaten right across the northern Mediterranean, and stuffed versions are common in Italy and southern France.
- Male flowers are usually used because picking them does not cost the plant any fruit.
Substitutions
- Pumpkin flowers can be used the same way and are larger.
- Cold beer in place of sparkling water gives a slightly more flavoured batter.
Variations
- Many cooks stuff the flowers with ricotta or with brandade before frying.
- A version stuffed with anchovy and mozzarella is common in Italy.
- Some Nicois cooks add the flowers to a vegetable tian rather than frying them.
History
A summer speciality of the Nice-Monaco coast, using the male flowers of the courgette crop.
Frequently asked questions
What is Beignets de fleurs de courgette?
Beignets de fleurs de courgette is a snack from Monaco: courgette blossoms in light batter, fried and eaten with fingers. A summer speciality of the Nice-Monaco coast, using the male flowers of the courgette crop.
How long does Beignets de fleurs de courgette take to make?
Beignets de fleurs de courgette takes 25 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 16 fritters. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Beignets de fleurs de courgette?
Yes, within limits. Pumpkin flowers can be used the same way and are larger. Cold beer in place of sparkling water gives a slightly more flavoured batter.
What is the most important thing to get right in Beignets de fleurs de courgette?
Shake or blow them out gently. Pinch it off at the base and discard it. Trim the stems to about two centimetres. Many cooks do not wash them at all. Put the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the egg yolk and the olive oil. Pour in the very cold sparkling water gradually.
