Zuke blossoms

[bloviatrix]

I bought some zuke blossoms at the greenmarket today. I've never used them before, but Jack Bishop has a recipe that looks pretty good where you stuff the blossoms with a ricotta-herb mixture, dip in egg and cornmeal and then fry.

Anyway, two questions regarding the prep:

1) Some of the blossoms still have their stems. Do I cut them off, or can I leave them?

2) The stem end is a little prickly. Is this a problem? Will they soften in the frying or do I have to remove it somehow when I clean them?

I plan on working on them starting at 6pm, eastern. Any help before that will be appreciated.

[malachi]

I think it's a matter of personal taste, but for me it depends upon the size of the stems. If they're delicate and small, I tend to leave them on. If large, I remove. If I'm leaving them on, I usually do a quick scrape with the edge of a knife blade to remove any roughness.

[jackal10]

Cut the stem itself off, but leave the baby zuke on the female flowers.

Edited August 1, 2003 by jackal10 (log)

[Bond Girl]

I leave the thing whole but give the stem a good scrub. It's more interesting that way when you deep fry it.

[bloviatrix]

Thanks everyone. I kept the stems on since they were short.

And, I decided not to stuff them. I deep fried them in a beer batter. They were unbelievable. But then again, everything tastes better fried.

[pastramionrye]

the stem and the little bits of the flower on the inside tend to be a little bitter.