Light, delicate and delicious – zucchini blossoms are one of those special summer treats that once you have tried them, you will be hooked. We bought some beautiful big ones at Ponesse’s this week and cooked them my favourite way – fried in a light tempura batter (recipe follows.) The batter fries up nice and crispy while maintaining the delicate texture and flowery-flavour of the blossom. Sometimes Phil’s Place or some of the farmers on Saturdays have them with little zucchinis still attached – which is even more fun because you get a little bite of battered vegetable as well.

Since there is very little salt in the batter, a little salty flavour on the fried tempura helps bring out the sweetness of the blossom. You can either serve the fried blossoms with tempura sauce (purchased from Domino Foods or Lively Life Fine Foods – or make your own.) But if you want to keep it really simple, sprinkle the freshly fried blossoms with some nice finishing sea salt from Selsi just after they come out of the oil.

Zucchini blossoms perishable quickly, so it’s best to use them the same day they’re purchased or at least the day after. Keep them in the crisper section of the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook them, then gently wipe with a wet paper towel to remove any dirt. Remove the pistils inside (also check for bugs in there.) I always leave the stems on because it gives you something to hold onto and makes a pretty presentation but you can remove them too (you don’t eat them.) If you search the web, you’ll find lots of other great ways to cook zucchini blossoms, like in risotto, soups, and stuffed or sautéed with meat and/or cheese – but if you are a newbie, this recipe is an easy way to start. Enjoy!

ZUCCHINI BLOSSOM TEMPURA

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 cup ice water
3 or 4 ice cubes
Zucchini blossoms
Sliced zucchini
Sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, egg and 1/2 cup of the ice water. Whisk in remaining water a little at a time, to make thin pancake-like batter. Add the ice cubes to keep the batter cold (*this helps create a crispier tempura.)

Heat enough oil so that tempura will be submerged while cooking in a wok or large saucepan until a deep-fryer thermometer reads 375°F.
Gently dredge each blossom in batter, shaking off excess batter, and drop batter into the hot oil. Fry blossoms, turning once, until crispy and golden brown, about 2 or 3 minutes. Drain on paper towel–lined rack. Repeat with remaining blossoms and sliced zucchini. Serve immediately.

Dipping Sauce:
1 cup dashi soup stock
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar

In saucepan, bring dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar to a boil, stirring, until sugar is melted. Remove from heat and let cool. Serve into individual small bowls. Extra sauce can be refrigerated.

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