Beer Battered Squash Blossoms With Goat Cheese And Garlic Recipes

BEER BATTERED SQUASH BLOSSOMS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND GARLIC

Steps:

• To make the filling:
• Combine garlic, olive oil, goat cheese and thyme in a small bowl. Mix until smooth, and season with salt and pepper.
• For the blossoms:
• In a bowl, whisk together beer and egg. Whisk in 1 cup of the flour and continue adding extra flour, 1 tablesppon at a time, until mixture has the consistency of thin pancake batter, Whisk in butter and season to taste with salt, pepper. Let rest 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a deep heavy pot fitted with with a deep-frying thermometer, heat 1 inch of oil to 375°. Stuff each blossom with a few tablespoons of the goat cheese mixture, and press petals closed.
• Working quickly, in small batches, dip filled blossoms into batter, coating each completely; and fry, turning once, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Use slotted spoon to transfer blossoms onto paper towels to drain. Make sure the oil returns to 375° before adding each new batch of blossoms.
• Sprinkle fried blossoms with salt and serve immediately.

BATTER FRIED STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Place ricotta cheese in a double layer of cheesecloth. Tie up ends, and hang over a bowl to drain. Place in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper. Slowly add milk to the flour mixture, whisking constantly, until the batter has a slightly thickened and very smooth consistency; set aside.
• Remove ricotta from the cheesecloth, and discard the liquid. In another medium bowl, stir together drained ricotta, mozzarella, marjoram, and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Gently open the flower petals and, using a small spoon, fill a blossom about 2/3 full with the ricotta mixture. Wrap the petals around the mixture to seal. Using your fingers, gently press the blossom to distribute filling evenly. Repeat, filling all the blossoms.
• In a small saucepan fitted with a deep-frying thermometer, heat olive oil over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Place the stuffed blossoms in the reserved batter until completely coated. Lift out, and gently drag the blossom against the edge of the bowl to remove excess batter. Carefully slip as many blossoms into the hot oil as will comfortably fit without crowding. Fry the blossoms until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon, and transfer to several layers of paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.

BEER-BATTERED SQUASH CHIPS WITH LEMON MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• In small bowl, mix mayonnaise and lemon juice; set aside.
• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, table salt, red pepper and beer with whisk until smooth.
• In 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy saucepan, heat 2 to 3 inches oil to 350°F. Working in small batches, dip squash slices in batter. Fry in hot oil about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with sea salt.
• Serve fried squash chips warm with lemon mayonnaise.

CRISP ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cover 3/4 tablespoon of the sumac with 1 tablespoon of boiling water and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Add both types of cheese, oregano, walnuts, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a generous grind of pepper. Mix well.
• Fill the flowers by carefully opening them and either spooning or piping about a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture into each, gently pushing the filling all the way to the bottom of each blossom but being careful not to fill them too much; if you can get someone to hold the flower open for you, it would make it much easier. Gently twist the tips of the petals to secure the filling inside and set aside until you're ready to fry.
• Pour enough oil into a medium (about 8-inch/20-centimeter) nonstick frying pan so that the oil rises about 1 inch/2 centimeters up the sides of the pan. Place on a high heat for 5 minutes and then turn the heat down a fraction.
• Meanwhile, mix the flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Slowly pour in the sparkling water, whisking continuously to form a smooth batter.
• When bubbles start to surface in the oil, test it by dropping some batter into the oil: if it sizzles, you are ready. (The oil should hover between 320 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit/160 and 180 degrees Celsius.)
• Lower a zucchini blossom into the batter, turning to coat completely, before carefully placing in the hot oil. Repeat, cooking a few blossoms at a time, adjusting the temperature between batches so they take about 30 seconds on each side to turn a golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and then sprinkle with salt and the remaining 1/4 tablespoon sumac. Serve at once with the lemon wedges alongside.