Courgette flowers filled with peas, dill and mint

Courgette flowers filled with peas, dill and mint

Summer

Lots of good fruit and vegetable markets will sell small boxes of courgette flowers – they’re a special part of the plant. In Italy they’re stuffed, often with fresh ricotta and herbs, then coated in a light batter and fried – they are wonderful. Really, though, you can fill these dainty yellow flowers with whatever you like. I’ve got a rich salt-cod brandade stuffing that never disappoints, but this simple filling of garden peas and mint is pretty hard to match.

Makes 8-12

Ingredients

  • 20g (¾oz) unsalted butter
  • 2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped
  • 250g (9oz) podded or frozen peas
  • A dash of boiling water
  • 25g (1oz) soft goat’s cheese
  • 1 small handful of mint, leaves picked and ribboned
  • 1 small handful of dill, finely chopped
  • About 8–12 good-looking courgette flowers
  • Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • A squeeze of lemon, to serve

For the batter

  • 50g (1¾oz) plain flour
  • 50g (1¾oz) cornflour
  • Good pinch of fine sea salt

Method

Set a medium pan over a gentle heat. Add the butter and when it’s melted and bubbling away add the spring onions and the garlic and cook, stirring regularly, for 4–5 minutes, or until soft but not coloured. Add the peas, along with a dash of boiling water and cook for a further few minutes, until the peas are just tender. Remove from the heat and transfer to the bowl of a food processor.

Add the goat’s cheese and give the mixture a few pulses until you have
a thick, coarse purée. Stir through the finely chopped mint and dill and season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer the pea purée to a bowl and allow to cool.

Prepare the courgette flowers by very gently pulling back the petals of each flower. If the stamen is in the way, you can snap this out. Place 1 large teaspoonful of pea purée into the centre of each flower and then close up the petals, encasing the pea mixture. Pop the stuffed flowers in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.

To make the batter, combine the flour, cornflour and salt, then whisk in about 150ml (5fl oz) of water until well combined.

To cook, place a large pan on a high heat and add the frying oil so that it comes 5cm (2in) up the sides of the pan. It’s hot enough when a cube of bread turns golden in 40–50 seconds.

When the oil is hot, turn the stuffed courgette flowers in the batter and, 2–4 flowers at a time (don’t overcrowd the pan), lower them carefully into the hot oil. Fry each batch for about 2 minutes, until lightly golden and crisp, then remove from the oil and set aside to drain on kitchen paper while you make the next batch. Repeat until you have cooked all the stuffed flowers.

Serve the flowers straight away with a squeeze of lemon and some flaky sea salt.

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