Fried squash blossoms with celery sauce

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 Green anaheim chile
½ cup Water
1 Egg, beaten
1 cup All purpose flour
½ cup Heavy cream
1 tablespoon Unsalted butter
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and
1 pounds Celery, leaves and stalks
3 tablespoons Unsalted butter coarsely chopped
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon White pepper
30 Squash blossoms, preferably male
2 cups To 3 cups vegetable oil
½ teaspoon Salt

Directions

FRIED SQUASH BLOSSOMS

CELERY SAUCE

Roast, peel, seed and dice the anaheim chile.

In a bowl, mix together the water, egg, vlour, and cream to make the batter and set aside 1 hour.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-low heat and saute the onion until it is translucent. Add the tomatoes, chile, garlic, salt and pepper, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from the heat and let cool.

To make the sauce, cut the celery into large chunks and place in a pot with enough salted water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook about 20 minutes until celery is tender.

Drain the water, place the celery in a food processor and puree.

Strain through a fine sieve into a saucepan.

Heat the celery puree over medium low heat 8 to 10 minutes, until reduced by half. Add the butter and salt and stir together until the sauce is smooth and shiny. Keep warm until the squash blossoms are fried.

Remove stamens from male squash blossoms. Fill each blossom with about 1 tablespoon of the sauteed vegetables and spices, pull together the tip of the blossom to seal in the filling, and gently dip it into the batter, covering the entire blossom.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or fryier untilo it is very hot but not smoking. Gently drop each blossom into the oil. Fry 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until the blossoms are golden brown. Remove the blossoms with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Using a sharp knife, slice each blossom twice diagonally. Spoon about ¼ cup sauce onto each of 6 plates, top with the fried squash blossoms and serve hot. ***************** Squash blossoms, considered by the Zuni tribe in western New Mexico to be great delicacies, are eaten and enjoyed in many of the pueblos along the Rio Grande. The flowers are carefully gathered in the early morning before the blossoms open up to the sun. Male blossoms are gathered because they do not bear fruit and are larger than the female blossoms - and better able to hold their form when used in cooking. There are several commercial growers willing to ship the male blossoms to the consumer, but the female blossoms that are attached to the baby squash found in specialty markets can also be used.

From "Native American Cooking," by Lois Ellen Frank Submitted By HILDE MOTT On 11-19-94

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