Antipasto plate stuffed zucchini flowers in tempura batter
Posted on 13/11/2011

How many would it make: 4 portion

Ingredients list:

1 Cup of Vitarium Batter Mix

1 Egg white

375 mls sparkling or carbonated water (cold from the fridge)

Vegetable Oil, enough for deep frying depending on the size of your saucepan or a deep fryer

8 Zucchini Flowers (closed) with the baby female zucchini still attached (Green or Gold Variety)

1 Lime

3 baby or small organic beetroots

Stilton - Colston Basset

1 Hand full of Semi-dried Muscatel Grapes

Walnut Oil

Fresh Thyme – if available in flower


Method:

1. Wash whole beetroots and place in a saucepan of water until they are covered. Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until soft in the centre which you can test with a wooden skewer. Set aside to drain and cool.
2. Peel the beetroots and slice or cut into the desired shape for the plate. Place on absorbant paper on a plate and let most of the water seep out. Set aside.
3. Remove the stamen from the zucchini flowers very carefully so as not to open the flower too much. It should retain its closed flower shape.
4. Remove the seeds from the Muscatel grapes. Using a small very sharp knife, slit the grape, it will only have 1 of 2 seeds inside.
5. Break off a small portion of stilton and warming it with your hands form a small ball.
6. Take about 3 or 4 grapes and press them into the ball of stilton.
7. Pick up one zucchini flower and gently open the flower and press the ball of stilton and grapes inside. Close the flower up to its original shape. Repeat this process for the other 7 flowers.
8. Place all the stuffed zucchini flowers on a plate, cover with cling film and refrigerate until the stilton becomes hard again or until you are ready to cook them in the tempura batter.
9. Add egg white into a mixing bowl and whisk until fluffy.
10. Add the sparkling water to the egg white.
11. Put the Vitaruim Batter Mix into another mixing bowl.
12. Gradually add the egg white and water mixture stirring the Vitarium batter mix until you reach the desired consistency. Set aside for 15 minutes.
13. Peel the lime and arrange on the serving plate/s.
14. Place the slices of beetroot on the plate where desired.
15. Using a large saucepan pre-heat the oil to 180C and maintain that heat for cooking. (Use a temperature gauge).
16. Dip each zucchini flower into the Vitarium batter mix, shake off excess and deep fry in batches of 2, turning occasionally, for approximately 3 – 4 minutes.
17. Drain on absorbent paper and repeat until all the zucchini are cooked.
18. Place the flowers on the plate to desired design and toss on the flowing thyme pieces.
19. Spray everything on the plate lightly with walnut oil, and serve.


Other tips:

1. I also made some stuffed with Chevre Goast Cheese and baby Capers which I liked but the taste testers preferred the stilton mix.
2. The reason I did not use the egg yolk in the batter is because I wanted the colour of the zucchini and the flower to come through.