Battered zucchini flowers

To make the battered zucchini flowers, start by preparing the batter. First, dissolve 1½ tbsp (15 g) of fresh brewer’s yeast, crumbled by hand, in a little room-temperature water taken from the 1 cup (220 g) of water you need for the batter 1, emulsifying with a whisk. Next, pour the flour into another bowl, add the rest of the room-temperature water 2, and mix with a whisk until you get a smooth mixture without any lumps 3.

Then add the brewer’s yeast dissolved in the water 4, continuing to whisk. Now add ¾ tsp (6 g) of salt 5 and ½ tbsp (6 g) of sugar, mixing again to combine the ingredients, and then cover with plastic wrap 6. Leave to rest for around 30 minutes at room temperature.

In the meantime, clean the zucchini flowers, starting by gently pulling off the stems 7. Then, still using your hands, pull off both the external pistils 8 and the internal bud 9. Repeat these steps with all the zucchini flowers.

After 30 minutes, the classic batter will be well leavened 10, so now it’s time for the frying. Pour the oil into a pot and heat to a maximum temperature of 340°-350°F (170°-180°C) (use a food thermometer to check). When the oil is almost at the right temperature, put the flowers into the batter 11, using kitchen tweezers to turn them so they are completely coated 12.

Next, take each flower out of the batter 13, allowing the excess to drain off, and then immerse the flowers in the hot oil 14, only doing a few at a time so the temperature doesn’t go down too much. When the flowers are nice and golden, turn them 15 and cook on the other side, too.

Then, take them out of the oil using a skimmer and place on a paper towel 16. Season with a pinch of salt 17 and serve your battered zucchini flowers 18.

For a crispier version, once all of the flowers have been cleaned, as described above, you can make the tempura. Place the egg yolk in a bowl 19 and, beating it with a whisk, add ¾ cup (100g) of flour little by little 20, and then slowly pour in 1 cup (200 g) of ice-cold water 21.

Continue to beat until you get a smooth mixture 22. Immerse the flowers in the batter, turning them so they are completely coated 23. Heat the oil to a temperature of 340°-350°F (170°-180°C), as indicated above, and fry your battered zucchini flowers, turning them over halfway through 24.

Once they’re cooked, remove them from the oil using a skimmer 25 and transfer to a paper towel. Season with salt 26 and serve them still hot 27!