In addition to spaghetti alla nerano and stuffing its blossoms, zucchini fritters are one of the myriad ways to prepare the spring/summer squash.
Here's a simple recipe for these delights that combines flowers with fruit, resulting in pancakes of sorts that are pan-fried. The light flavorful fritters are always a hit, looking ever so alluring as they beckon from their place on the table – just one of the dozens of preparations for this versatile spring and summer veggie.
Zucchini Fritters
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice Prada
Recipe: Caterina Perazzi
Skill Level: Intermediate
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Ingredients to serve for 4
1 lb./500 g. zucchini
9 oz./250 g. Greek yogurt
7 oz./200 g. feta, drained and crumbled
½ cup/120 g. all-purpose flour
5 tsp./20 g. milk
3 large eggs
12 zucchini flowers
fennel
parsley
chives
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Cut the zucchini into strips, lay them flat on a tray or plate, and then add salt. Let the zucchini strips sit for 15 minutes, then rinse them. Next, cook the strips quickly in a pan with a little oil for 4-5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
Clean the courgette flowers, taking care to remove the stem and the pistil – they'll spoil the flavor of the zucchini if they remain in place during cooking. Cut half of them lengthwise into strips, and set the others aside, covering them with moistened paper towels.
Mix the eggs, flour, and milk into a uniform batter, then add the crumbled feta cheese, the cooled zucchini, and the zucchini flower strips. Stuff the whole flowers with this mixture, taking care to twist the edge closed so that the filling doesn't spill out when frying. Twist gently, though – the flowers are delicate and tear easily.
Cook the pancakes in abundant boiling oil (338°F/170°C) until golden brown on both sides.
Coarsely chop one bunch each of fennel, parsley, and chives. In a bowl, combine the yogurt with the oil, salt, pepper, and the chopped herbs, and mix until it forms a uniform sauce.
Serve the hot pancakes immediately alongside the yogurt sauce.