Being a kid on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island meant that gardening, foraging, and fishing were part of everyday life for Luke Joseph. “There are many similarities between the food of the American South and the dishes I grew up eating,” says Joseph, who’s now executive chef and partner at the recently opened Current Charcoal Grill in Birmingham, Alabama. “Birmingham is rich with locally grown produce and offers an abundance of exceptional ingredients.” Take zucchini blossoms (a.k.a. squash blossoms), one of spring’s most spectacular offerings, and one of Joseph’s favorites. It’s hard to resist snapping a photo when a vibrant yellow-orange blossom lands on your plate. But they’re as tasty and versatile as they are pretty. With a mild, squash-like flavor, the flowers can be wilted into soups or chopped into salads. They’re also one of the few fresh ingredients for which frying doesn’t feel like a faux pas.
The classic treatment for the flowers—which Italians call fiori di zucca—calls for stuffing them with cheese and herbs before plunging them into hot oil. Joseph, however, prefers to simply fry them unstuffed in a tempura batter, then place the crispy blossoms on top of a salad of stracciatella cheese—the gooey goodness inside burrata—and melon (see recipe). “Melons and squash blossoms grow simultaneously, making their pairing a natural fit,” he says. As for the batter, he reaches for a not-so-secret ingredient: vodka. “The vodka evaporates more quickly than water, resulting in a crispier, lighter batter.”
Pick the blossoms—or buy them at a local market or farm stand—close to when you plan to use them. They’ll last a day or two in the fridge wrapped in a damp paper towel but not much longer. Gently wipe away any dirt with a pastry brush or paper towel, and take a peek inside your flowers to make sure a bee or other pollinator isn’t camped out. While squash blossoms are indeed “buzz”-worthy, the tempura batter provides all the crunch you need.
