10 zucchini flowers
1 cup wheat flour
½ cup beer
½ cup water
Tiny pinch of salt
Oil for frying
Mix flour and salt. Whisk in – a little at a time – beer and water into the flour. Mix well.
Heat enough oil in a pot, so that the flowers float freely while being fried.
Drag one flower at a time through the batter, until it is completely covered. Allow excess batter to drip back into the bowl, then place in the frying pot. Turn the flower over a few times so that it is evenly fried all around. When nice and golden, place on a paper towel covered plate to dry off, before serving.
Old man Giuseppe in Calvo, north of Ventimiglia in northern Italy, taught me this recipe for deep fried zucchini flowers. Anyone who has had even a slight success of growing zucchinis, is well aware that you still get a good harvest, even though you grab a bunch of flowers to go with your aperitif!
The Italians prefer this delicacy as is, while the people on the other side of the border, in French Menton and beyond, happily add dips and sauces.
