Fried Squash Bloosoms

Ingredients

  • 3 salted anchovies, cleaned, filleted, and halved lengthwise and cross wise
  • 4 oz. mozzarella, cut into 12 equal pieces ( if you happen to take a bite of one, be certain to trim the others to solve the probem your hungry maw created)
  • 12 squash blossoms, cleaned, dried, stamen removed, and stem trimmed to about 1 inch ( “about” does not mean 2 inches are fine, for this instance alone we must be size queens and make it as close to 1 inch as possible)
  • Neutral oil for frying ( rapeseed, peanut, canola, corn)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (because who really has anything else besides this and bisquick in their cupboards)
  • Pinch of sea salt ( really about a teaspoon should be fine)
  • 2 2/3 sparkling ice water ( cause we fancy tonight)

Instructions

  1. Place one piece of anchovy and one piece of mozzarella inside each squash blossom, and set aside (try not to tear the petals for us won’t you lovie)
  2. In a medium sized frying pan, heat 2 inches of oil to 350F
  3. Fill a large bowl with ice water and rest a second medium bowl inside ( this is not the sparkling ice water)
  4. In the medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sparkling water and whick until smooth-making sure to keep the batter as cold as possible between batches
  5. One at a time, hold the blossom tips closed and dip into batter, making sure to coat thoroughly
  6. Allow extra batter to drip off- making sure that blossom tips are battered shut ( we dont want them exploding in the pan)
  7. Lower blossoms into hot oil, frying until lightly browned ( about 2-3 minutes, turn them once during that time)

Serves: 4 - 6

Notes

  • Make sure to fully close the blossom tips so that they hold together duirng frying