Grill Hills: The flower you can eat

Q: I once ate the most delicious things at a restaurant buffet in Sardinia. They looked like bright yellow flowers stuffed with savoury cheese and fried, and had the most wonderful delicate taste. No one could tell me what the dish was called in English - can you help? - Natalie Davies, Pietermaritzburg

A: These sound like stuffed zucchini flowers. Zucchini - baby marrows in SA - start off as delicate, long yellow flowers that are edible. In Mediterranean countries they are stuffed with savoury fillings, battered and fried. Some greengrocers sell the flowers when in season, which is now, or better still, grow your own. They wilt quickly after picking, so use them immediately. This recipe is from Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes, by SA-born chef Tessa Kiros and Manos Chatzikonstantis (Andrews McMeel Publishing).

Serves 6 as a starter

Ingredients:

18 perfect pumpkin or baby marrow flowers

3 extra-large eggs, separated

200ml (100g) flour

125ml (½ cup) soda or sparkling water, ice cold

60ml (¼ cup) white wine

Salt, to taste

9 small anchovies, halved

125g mozzarella, cut into 18 cubes

18 fresh sage leaves, rinsed and dried

Oil, for deep-frying

Method:

Carefully open the zucchini flowers and remove the stamens by gently twisting them out. Drop the flowers into cold water and swish them through carefully with your hands. Scoop out and leave to drain, or pat dry with paper towel.

Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Add the flour, sparkling water and wine. Season and whisk until fairly smooth. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks, then gently fold into the batter.

Stuff each flower with half an anchovy and a mozzarella cube. Loosely twist the end of the flower to stop the filling falling out. Heat about 3-4cm oil in a large saucepan until hot enough for deep-frying. Dip the filled flowers into the batter and fry in batches, on both sides, until golden and crispy. Don't overcrowd the pan. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel to soak up the excess oil. Dip the sage leaves into the batter and fry them for a few seconds on both sides. Serve the zucchini flowers with the fried sage leaves, lemon wedges and a scattering of coarse salt.