Tempura zucchini flowers with feta and herbs
Ingredients
12 zucchini flowers
200g feta cheese
3 spring onions, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup finely chopped mint
100g flour, plus extra for dusting
200ml mineral or soda water, chilled
1 tsp salt
Olive oil for frying
Lemon for serving
Method
To prepare zucchini flowers, check the inside of the flower and for any insects (you should not need to wash them as the water might soften the flowers).
In a bowl, add the cheese, spring onions, parsley and mint. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Fill each flower ¾ full with the cheese mixture and gently twist the top of the petals to keep the mix inside. Set aside until needed.
To make the batter, add the flour and salt in a bowl and whisk in the cold sparkling water.
Add olive (or vegetable) oil to a deep fry pan and heat to about 180C.
Place some flour on a plate and roll each of the zucchini flowers in it to dust. Dip in the batter, let the excess drain of and place in the fryer. Fry for 1 minute and then turn over for a further 30 seconds.
Remove and place on kitchen paper to drain. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon.
