Zucchini flowers stuffed with almond purée and aïoli
SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 10 MINS // COOK 3 MINS
“This tempura batter gets really crisp and works really well with the garlic-scented soft almond purée in the flowers,” says Papadakis. “It’s the perfect snack for a dinner party.”
18 zucchini flowers with stem attached, stamens removed, ends trimmed Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
150 gm rice flour
Pinch of baking powder 225 ml chilled sparkling mineral water
Seasoned plain flour, for dusting
AÏOLI
3 eggs
1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 garlic clove, crushed 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable oil
ALMOND PURÉE
125 gm day-old sourdough, crusts removed
150 ml olive oil
125 gm almond meal
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
1 For aïoli, blend eggs, vinegar, garlic and 1 tsp sea salt in a blender on high for a minute. Add oil very slowly while the blender is running and whisk until thick and emulsified. Season to taste and refrigerate until required.
2 For almond purée, soak bread in 250ml water for 30 minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid, reserving 2 tbsp. Process olive oil, almond meal, garlic and soaked bread in a blender until smooth, adding reserved soaking liquid to loosen if necessary. Season to taste with lemon juice and salt.
3 Gently open zucchini flowers and place a heaped teaspoonful of almond purée in each. Gently twist the tops of petals together to close.
4 Heat oil in a deep saucepan or deep-fryer to 180°C. Combine rice flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a bowl and gradually whisk in sparkling water until smooth. Batter should be made just before frying – it will thicken if it sits.
5 Place seasoned flour in a bowl. Lightly dust flowers in flour and dip into the batter, shaking off excess. Fry in batches until golden and crisp (2-3 minutes; be careful, hot oil may spit). Drain on paper towels and serve hot with aïoli.
Wine suggestion 2011 Gembrook Hill “Blanc de Blanc”, Yarra Valley. Coming from one of the cooler sites in the Yarra, this sparkling wine made with a 100 per cent chardonnay spends six years on lees before being disgorged with very little dosage. It’s dry, shows great acid, fine mousse and lovely yeasty characters from the lees contact.