Deep Fried Courgette Flowers By Mark Hix

DEEP FRIED COURGETTE FLOWERS

The courgettes in the Fox kitchen garden have served us well over the last couple of months, yielding a good supply of both courgettes and flowers. This year I grew yellow and green and was quite surprised by the yield so they will definitely be on my planting list for next year. I do like gardening although there is so much to learn and trial and error but I think my grandad Bill is probably watching over me with his wishful experience eye

MARK HIX

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 small-medium courgettes • 1 red or green chilli, trimmed and finely chopped • A few sprigs of fennel, torn • The juice of 1 lemon • 2-3 tbs rapeseed oil • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper • 4 large courgette flowers • 70-80g White Lake or another soft goats cheese • 120g Dove farm gluten free self-raising flour • 200ml ice cold water • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • Vegetable or corn oil for deep frying

Serves 4

DIRECTIONS

1. First make the batter, slowly whisk the water into a bowl with the flour until you have a smooth consistency. Add the salt and pepper and give it a final whisk. 2. With a mandolin or peeler, shave the courgettes as thinly as possible and mix them in a bowl with the chilli, fennel, lemon juice and rapeseed oil and season. 3. Meanwhile, heat some vegetable oil to 160-180C in a deep-fat fryer or heavybased saucepan (but no more than half full). Test the oil by dropping a little batter into the oil. If it browns after a minute or so then it’s ready. 4. Spoon the goats cheese into the centre of each flower and seal them up. Dip them into the batter and fry for a couple minutes, turning them with a slotted spoon until they are crisp and light golden. 5. Remove the courgette flowers from the oil with a slotted spoon and put on a plate with some kitchen paper. Arrange the courgettes on serving plates with the flower on top.