Miso Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Flowers
Zucchini flowers stuffed with miso-ginger ricotta, fried in a light soda batter and dunked in wasabi Kewpie - snack royalty.
Serves: 4-6 as a snack
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
16 zucchini flowers (with the baby zucchinis attached if available)
4 cups (1 liter) rice bran or vegetable oil
For the stuffing:
230 g (8½ oz) fresh ricotta
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons mirin
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
¼ cup (21 g) finely shredded nori
For the mayo:
½ cup (120 g) kewpie mayo
1 tablespoon wasabi
1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the batter:
1¾ cups (260 g) plain (all-purpose) flour
1½ cups (375 ml) soda water
1 teaspoon fine salt
Optional ingredients:
Shichimi togarashi (Japanese chili seasoning)
METHOD
In a bowl, combine the ricotta, smashed garlic, miso paste, grated ginger, mirin, lemon zest, and shredded nori. Stir until well mixed.
Gently peel open the flower petals and remove the stamens to create more room for the cheese filling. You can choose to leave them in if you prefer.
Spoon the prepared stuffing into the zucchini flowers, pressing it in with the back of the spoon. Alternatively, you can use a piping bag or a snaplock bag with the corner cut off for a neater stuffing process.
Twirl the ends of the zucchini flowers to close the filling securely. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper until you're ready to fry.
Prepare the wasabi mayo by adding the kewpie mayo, wasabi, and lemon juice to a bowl. You can mix it to your desired level of consistency, whether you prefer a well-mixed sauce or one with distinct flavor variations.
In another bowl, combine the plain flour, soda water, and salt to create the batter. Avoid overmixing; you want to retain some soda bubbles and a few flour pockets to keep the batter light.
Heat the rice bran or vegetable oil in a deep saucepan or wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 190°C (375°F).
Dunk a stuffed zucchini flower into the batter, then lower it into the hot oil. It should bubble and start turning golden within 2 minutes. Gently turn it using a slotted spoon and continue frying for an additional 2 minutes. Fry in batches and allow the oil to reheat between batches.
Once fried, place the stuffed zucchini flowers and baby zucchinis on a wire rack to drain excess oil before serving.
Optionally, sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese chili seasoning) over the fried zucchini flowers for added flavor and heat.
HINTS
Zucchini flowers are divas - buy them the day you plan to stuff them and keep them chilled until showtime.
Make the batter last, right before frying, so the soda bubbles are still alive when they hit the oil.
No thermometer? A cube of bread should turn golden in about 15 seconds at 190C - and always let the oil climb back to temperature between batches.
NUTRITION (per recipe total, serves 4-6 - guide only):
Energy: approximately 12200kJ (2915 calories)
Protein: 55g
Fat: 195g
Saturated fat: 42g
Carbohydrates: 200g
Sugars: 8g
Fibre: 8g
Sodium: 3500mg
Note: frying oil is estimated at absorption only.
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.