Squash Blossom Fritters

Basic Fritter Batter

• Photos

If you don't grow your own squash, squash blossoms can be hard to locate. Make friends with a farmer or gardener to obtain the freshest blossoms possible. Pick male flowers, those with longer stems, and leave the female flowers to bear squash.

1 cup flour

1 large egg, beaten

1/3 cup milk

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon oil

Solid vegetable shortening, like Crisco

Fresh squash blossoms, allow 6-8 blossoms per person, as a side dish or appetizer

Submerge fresh picked squash blossom in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes. Gently shake out water, drain and allow to blossoms to air dry. Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Make a well into the center of the flour and salt and break in egg. Gradually add milk and beat until smooth; stir in oil. (Batter should be thicker than a crepe batter, but thinner than pancake batter. If batter seems to thick, blend in a little more milk, , if too thin, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time.) Dip dry blossoms into the batter, one blossom at a time. Let excess batter drip off and place on wire rack, placed over a cookie sheet. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before frying in deep fat that has reached a temperature of 365 degrees. Fry a few flowers at a time until they are golden brown; drain on paper towels and serve at once.

Kitchen Ade Note: Shortening is at the right temperature when a dry cube of bread dropped into deep fat turns light brown in 60 seconds. Do not crowd flowers when frying.

A fritter is batter-coated food that is fried. Fried right, fritters have a good shape and a golden color. The temperature of the oil in which fritters are fried is essential to successful fritter making. If the oil is too hot, fritters will over browned without being properly cooked. And, if the fat is too cold, fritters will be grease-soaked and soggy.