Last Updated on January 18, 2023 by Catrina
Fresh squash blossoms, filled with cheese, then battered, fried, and allowed to simmer in a light tomato sauce are one of the dishes I make in the late summer and early fall when squash blossoms are abundant in central Mexico. These stuffed squash blossom fritters are the perfect light dinner and a delicious way to enjoy this seasonal food!
How this recipe came to be
This particular recipe is one that my mother-in-law shared with me and has some of the same common elements of her other tortas or fritters: an egg battered vegetable, fried and then allowed to soak in a warm, light tomato-based sauce. Squash blossoms can be light and fragrant if harvested and eaten fresh. The taste is delicate, the cheese warm and soft, and the egg batter provides a bit of volume to the dish. And something about eating flowers just seems so elegant, I can hardly keep myself from devouring these!
Now, you may be familiar with the Italian version of stuffed squash blossoms fritters. The recipes that I have seen for these versions typically use ricotta cheese. Here, I prefer to use Oaxacan cheese (queso Oaxaca or quesillo). Oaxacan cheese is a semi-soft, mild-flavored cheese and melts easily, which is why this cheese is used so often to make quesadillas in central Mexico. The flavor is more buttery and salty than mozzarella, but the process used to make the cheese is similar. Because the flavor of this cheese is mild, it doesn’t overpower the flavor of the squash blossoms. The cheese you use, however, is really a matter of personal preference. If you can, try this dish with Oaxacan cheese, but if that cheese is not available, mozzarella or an unaged Monterrey jack could be good substitutes.
How to select squash blossoms
Buying squash blossoms
Here in central Mexico, squash blossoms are in season late summer and early fall. It is easy to source these at the market or from street-side vendors who set up little stands dedicated to selling these flowers. However, squash blossoms may be a bit trickier to source in the US. I have sometimes seen them available at farmer’s markets.
When I buy these, I look for larger flowers, with the petals still intact. This will help to keep your filling inside during the frying process. Squash blossoms tend to wilt quickly, therefore, I like to use them the same day that I purchase them. I have found that they don’t keep well for long, making it essential to prepare and eat these fresh.
Harvesting squash blossoms
Now, if you have your own vegetable garden with summer squash, sourcing squash blossoms is pretty straightforward. I don’t have a vegetable garden of my own, but Diana Kennedy in her book El Arte de la Cocina Mexicana suggests harvesting these in the early morning, when the flowers are open and at their most fragrant.
You will only want to cut the male blossoms since the female ones will eventually produce squash if pollinated. But leave some of the male blossoms to continue their job as pollinators. This is a beautiful and delicious way to use some of the male blossoms from your garden.
So how do you know which blossoms are males and which are females? This article from Science of Cooking explains the difference between a male and female zucchini squash blossom. The easiest way to tell the male from female blossoms is to look inside the flower. The male blossoms have a single stamen inside the center of the flower.
How to make stuffed squash blossom fritters
Cleaning and preparing the squash blossoms
To make these stuffed squash blossom fritters, you will first need to clean and prepare the squash blossoms. First, I cut off the stems and remove the hard spikes from the bottom of the chalice (see photo below). Next, I gently open the blossoms and rinse them under cold water to remove any dirt, sand, or bugs. I give them a quick shake to remove excess water and set them aside to dry a bit while I work to ready the other elements for this dish. Note that the time to prepare the blossoms is not included in the total time for this recipe!
Making the sauce
The sauce is straightforward and easy to make. Simply put all elements of the sauce (except for the bay leaf and salt) in a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth and no chunks remain. This is the same sauce I use for chile rellenos. Once the mixture is smooth, I add it to a large shallow pan along with the bay leaf and bring it to a boil. The sauce will start to darken as it cooks and once it boils, I reduce the heat, cover, and allow it to simmer while I make the fritters.
Making the fritters
Now that you have the sauce going and the blossoms are cleaned, insert a bit of cheese inside each blossom. I used a total of about 1/4 pound of cheese for 18 blossoms. Once the blossoms are stuffed, set them aside to work on the batter.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whisk the egg whites on high speed until they hold a stiff peak. Then, add in the yolks and continue mixing until the yolks are incorporated.
Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Holding the blossoms by the top of the petals to keep the flower closed, gently dip the blossom into the egg mixture, covering the blossom completely with batter. Place the blossom in the hot oil. Working in batches, continue battering and frying the blossoms. You will want to avoid overcrowding the pan. Once the egg is golden, flip to the other side and continue frying until both sides are golden. This will take 1-2 minutes per side.
Once the blossoms are fried, place them on a papertowel-lined plate to absorb excess oil. Once all of the fritters are complete, check the sauce for salt, add as necessary, and place the fritters in the tomato sauce. Heat the fritters through in the sauce, divide evenly among the plates, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Looking for other vegetarian recipes? Try:
Savory Mexican Amaranth Fritters
Source: Graciela Martinez, Morelos, Mexico
Stuffed Squash Blossom Fritters in Red Sauce
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 cup water or broth
- 5 medium Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped about 525 grams or 19 ounces
- 1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped about 125 grams or 4 ounces
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- salt to taste
For the squash blossoms
- 18 large squash blossoms Wash, dried, stems and rough spikes from bottom of flower removed (see photo in post)
- 1/4 lb cheese of choice (I prefer queso Oaxaca which is similar to mozzarella) cut into strips, about 6-7 grams of cheese per blossom
- 3 eggs whites and yolks separated
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
For the sauce
- Place water or broth, tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender and blend on high for about 1 minute or until mixture is smooth
- Place tomato mixture and bay leaf in a shallow pan and bring to a boil.
- Once the mixture is boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer until the sauce begins to darken slightly, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add salt to taste
For the squash blossoms
- Gently insert a strip of cheese into each squash blossom and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, about 3 minutes
- Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whisk egg whites on high speed until mixture forms stiff peaks, about 3 minutes.
- Add yolks to whites and continue whisking on high speed until combined, another 20-30 seconds.
- Holding the squash blossoms by the top of the petals, gently coat completely with the egg mixture and place immediately in the hot oil.
- Fry 1-2 minutes per side or until the egg coating is golden
- Remove the blossoms to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil. Repeat the previous 2 steps for each remaining blossom
Putting it together
- Once any excess oil is removed from the squash blossoms, place the blossoms in the tomato sauce. Heat over medium low heat or until the blossoms are warmed through, about 3-5 minutes
- Divide blossoms evenly among the plates, topping with sauce. Serve immediately.
Leave a Reply