Allotments 4 All

Hi all, I have been experimenting with some batter for my newly grown courgettes, but need to have something a bit more exciting. Anyone got any nice batter recipes I can use? My courgettes are coming along nicely and I have picked a couple already and find battering them is really a nice change. Thanks, busy_lizzie

3/4 cup plain flour
1 cup ice cold beer or ice cold  club soda ...needs to be very cold
whisk together to make a thin batter.It will puff up.

Drip off suplus as it is best with just a very thin coating on..( like Tempura)

deep fry in hot oil of your choice.

XX Jeannine

Thanks Jeanine, That sounds intriguing and I will be sure to try it. :-* busy_lizzie

Do you batter the flowers, Lizzie?

I do, after stuffing them XX Jeannine

How do you get enough flowers for a dish?
With 5 plants, I only have, say, 3 at the same time.

Well I do usually have mote plants than that,

Aha - I can't keep up with 5!!

I'm still working on this but no doubt somebody will have tried something similar: to each tablespoon of flour I add about a teaspoon of baking powder, then a few drops of oil just before I add the beer. For reasons I'll have to look into, the batter stays crunchy right to the end.

Geoff.

That seems a HUGE amount of BP??

As to Jeannine's recipe, it was going well but I foolishly added all the remaining beer toward the end.

Too late - too much!! Did't stick. But it certainly fluffs up crisp. Different flour, probably.

The beer or club soda acts as raising agent so no need for BP, secret to my one is ice cold beer, very thin batter barely coated , oh and don't worry if there are a few lumps.

Tim if you have loads of squash try using some of the female flowers when they have just been pollinated, the tiny squash is  visible  and will grow a wee bit bfore the flowers fall off  , then cut of the stem below the squash, leaving a bit of stem on . Batter the lot, flower, baby, stem and all.  If the flower has gone, let the fruit grow to a very small size maybe 2 inches for a courgette and about 1 1/2  inches round for a pattypan, leave about 2 inches of stem on.Split the whole thing through the baby squash and stem length ways, this looks pariticularly nice with a pattypan type, then batter and deep fry as above. Use them this second way as raw crudites with a dip too.
Roast red peppers till skin slips off, chop fine, mix with garlic, olive oil and season with salt and pepper and a dash of cayenne or tabasco.

Good stuffing  for  using blossome is ricotta cheese mixed with egg, and seasoned to taste with simply salt and pepper.

You can also make a good dish from a winter trailing squash.Pick the growing tips of young shoots including young leaves and tendrils, wash carefully and steam for a minute or so(or blanch and pat dry) then saute  chopped garlic to taste in good olive oil, after a minute or so add the squash greenery and saute for just 1 minute, season it you wish with whatever you fancy. Delish ;D

XX Jeannine

Thanks.

it all sounds great! Now what dipping sauce would you all suggest for this recipe (courgettes in batter). I'm thinking garlic mayonaise  :-\

1066  :)

I put a dipping sauce recipe on XX Jeannine

In passing, what's the most tasteless oil for deep frying?

One of my favourite dishes in a local restaurant (have moved since) was thinly sliced courgettes, battered and fried (ie no flowers). The courgette inside the batter was only lightly cooked this way, and the batter was crisp, a lovely combination if anyone hasn't tried it. Even people who for some strange reason don't like courgettes like this.

I prefer Safflower for having no appreciable taste.

XX Jeannine

Thanks!

= Tim