I had never had fried zucchini blossoms before. I had heard that they existed and that was about it. I saw the flowers at the farmer’s marked last weekend and decided to grab some. They were cheap and plentiful and I figured I would try them out.

Talk about a revelation!

They were amazing! They were delicious! I waited until Wednesday to make them, which was a mistake because most of them had gone bad by that point, but I was in a crap mood and wanted something fried. I deserved it after the day I had. So the first thing I did when I walked in the door was get some oil on the stove to get hot. I washed the remaining blossoms and whipped up the super simple batter I saw on epicurious.

Before I knew it, I had these beautiful little brown crispy things. When I put the first one in my mouth, I was blown away. Such joy! So delightful!

I had eaten almost all of them by the time I decided to take a picture. These are the few that were left. By the time my boyfriend got home, there were only two left.

Most of the blossoms that I had left were fairly open, so I just dipped them and fried them. However, I did have some that were still pretty closed up. Those I stuffed with little pieces of mozzerella that I also got at the market. Biting into one with that cheesy goodness was awesome, but the plain ones were good too. They tasted like fried okra, but more delicate.

All in all, these were just wonderful. I have a new favorite fried food. I look forward to the farmer’s market this weekend so that I can go grab another big bag or two. I plan on making them as soon as I get home.

I highly recommend you do the same.

I haven’t tried the variations listed below yet, but I look forward to doing so soon. But, like I said I did stick pieces of mozzarella in some and it was an awesome thing. Enjoy!

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil (for frying)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
12 ounce chilled Pilsner, lager style beer, or club soda
Zucchini blossoms (stamens removed; about 2 dozen)
kosher salt for sprinkling

Preparation:
In a large pot, heat about 2″ oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl, then whisk in beer until almost smooth (some small lumps are welcome—don’t over whisk or you’ll deflate the batter). One by one, dredge the blossoms in batter, shaking off the excess; gently lay them in the oil, without crowding the pan. Cook, flipping once with a slotted spoon, until golden brown, 2–3 minutes total. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and devour while hot.

Variation #1:
For an even lighter, crispier crust, fold 3 stiffly beaten egg whites into batter and proceed as above.

Variation #2:
Stuffed blossoms are a favorite in Italy. To fill about 16, combine 1 cup ricotta, 1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint, and 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest in a bowl. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using a spoon, fill each blossom with about 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture, then dip in batter and fry as above.