Crispy Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

With considerable delay, I publish today one of the absolute delicacies: crispy stuffed zucchini flowers.

Zucchini flowers to die for!
Zucchini flowers to die for!

It is November, Christmas is coming, and I dream of the Summer and its delicacies!

The whole secret is to have the super freshest of zucchini, cut from the vegetable garden a split second ago!

Time is important, in case you have not noticed, not only in what we do, but also in how we prepare our food. 

Mizythra with coriander and mint
Myzithra with coriander and mint

I stuff the flowers with a soft white cheese mix. I use myzithra from Crete, add salt and pepper and some chopped coriander and mint.

Fresh ricotta would also have been perfect for the dish.

Dusted with flour
Dusted with flour

After stuffing the flowers I dip them in water and dust them with flour before dipping into the batter mix.

Bubbly batter does it!
Bubbly batter does it!

The batter has to be full of bubbles! A bubbly batter does it! Stir vigorously until you have the bubbles that will give lightness to the batter.

Crispy stuffed zucchini flowers served
Crispy stuffed zucchini flowers served

Served and ready to be enjoyed!

Crispy stuffed zucchini flower sliced and ready to be enjoyed - please use your hands!!!
Crispy stuffed zucchini flower sliced and ready to be enjoyed – please use your hands!!!

I slice them in two halves with a knife, and subsequently eat them with my hands. Totally different sensation.

sliced2

I do not know about you, but I am good for a little more!

Anchovies forever: a lunch with one theme and many tastes!

Today was a hot day.

A hot day invites light food.

London, 5th August 1935

I like tasty food.

I therefore had to prepare something light and tasty.

The theme to the lunch was given by the anchovies I bought from my fishmonger the other day.

As he said: “they are well bred and come from good waters.”

Salt cured anchovies

I made two dishes. The first with salt cured anchovies. I cured them lightly, less than 24 hours. (In the photo above, you can see how moist the flesh is.)

Their partner for the dish were blanched green beans, dressed with a light mustard aioli mayonnaise.

I like to add some mustard to the aioli, it gives it some extra kick, and the colour is divine (I use Dijon mustard).

I only added some lemon juice to the dish. No vinegar is allowed! It kills the taste of the anchovy.

The second dish was built around fried anchovies.

Accompanied by boiled beetroot and fresh garden tomatoes, green peppers, and dry sliced onions.

These orange cherry tomatoes are delicious, and they provide the best partner to the sweetness of the beetroot.

The beetroot was served with olive oil, a touch of lemon juice, and finely chopped garlic.

Both dishes go very well with my favourite Greek white wine, assyrtico from Santorini. Just perfect!