Recipes :Crab-stuffed courgette flowers

Crab-stuffed courgette flowers

Don't be put off by the effort involved in making these, the taste is well worth the effort!

  • 200g white crabmeat
  • 2 spring onions , thinly sliced
  • handful flat-leaf parsley , chopped
  • 100g ricotta
  • good pinch paprika
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 long thin red chilli , finely chopped
  • 12 courgette flowers

FOR THE BATTER

  • 2 eggs , 1 whole, 1 separated
  • 150g flour , plus extra flour, seasoned for dusting
  • 250ml lager , chilled

Method

  1. Mix the crab with all the other ingredients except the courgette flowers. Gently half-fill each courgette flower (over-filling will cause the flowers to burst). Twist the top of each to seal, then chill for 20 minutes to set.
  2. To make the batter, put a whole egg and one yolk into a bowl (keep the white). Season well, then gradually mix in the flour and lager, whisking well. Beat the egg white to soft peaks, then fold into the batter.
  3. Heat a large pan or wok filled no more than 1/3 full with vegetable oil to 180C, or until a cube of bread browns in about a minute.
  4. Take the filled courgette flowers and coat with seasoned flour, shake off the excess and dip in the batter. Pick each one out and shake off the extra batter, then drop gently into the hot oil. only do about 3 at a time or the temperature will drop too quickly and the oil will go into the batter, making the flowers soggy. Cook for 3 minutes, until crisp and golden, then take out and drain on kitchen paper. Season with a little salt and keep warm. Serve with lemon wedges and good quality mayonnaise.

PER SERVING

306 kcalories, protein 21,1g, carbohydrate 32,1g, fat 9,2 g, saturated fat 3,3g, fibre 1,6g, salt 1,18 g