Frying flowers, squash- questions questions

[dragnlaw]

OK, so if I want to cook some squash flowers, I pluck the male ones as they are in excess and therefore expendable. ..(hmmm - is that true in real life? )

Got that part but just exactly when do you pick them? Ready to open, just opened, full opened?

Remove the stamen, read that. Stuff with a cream cheese concoction, press closed. (and check for creepy crawlies - saw lots when pollinating!)

Batter - which one - a tempura one? Sounds like the best one to me, but is there a more appropriate one?

Cook - assume deep frying must be done so they are fully submerged?

Serving - a condiment to go with? or not.

Accompaniements - (is that a word?) Is it the star of the show? A starter? A sidedish? - what else would you serve them with?

All ideas, suggestions and hints welcomed!

and are some squash flowers better than others?

 

[pepperhead212]

Glad to see you got some of these, dragon!

I pick the ones that are almost ready to open - full sized, and getting orange - and the ones just opened, but not the ones that have probably opened several times, or the real small ones. I leave about an inch of the stem on - good to pick up with, when fried, but I trim that off, when using in a soup, taco, or other dish.

I've tried different types of stuffings, but I think my favorite was one with spinach and ricotta (what a lot were based on, back when I tried a bunch of them), with a small piece of gorgonzola I added in the center.

I usually fry these in a Dutch oven, but with the oil only deep enough to cover, about 1¼-1½". Deep frying, but not real deep. There was a dip sauce I made - I'll look for it. I'm sure it was in one of my old Italian CBs.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I have had them both stuffed, and without fillings. Without fillings, the are dredged in egg wash, then either AP flour, corn starch, or a half and half mixture of the two. Te.pura batter also works. They are then pan fried in a couple inches of hot oil, flipping once to brown both sides. The have a somewhat meaty, umami flavor, and are tasty.

Fillings can range from cream cheese with herbs, ground meat of choice, (including force meats such as a mix with bread crumbs and eggs), thick chili, sausage, Asian inspied fillings, even diced fruits. Use your imagination. Serve with, or without an a companying sauce.

The blossoms are very versatile. For me, simply coated with flour, fried, and served with a little Tabasco, and seasoned with salt is good enough.

Just thinking, thin-sliced, rare sirloin, with aged ghouda would be a good filling.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North