Eat Your Flowers

Tempura Frizzled Herb Blossoms

Light, crispy, aromatic appetizer-on-it's-own-stick tempura frizzled herb blossoms... Mmmm. Served with a chilled white wine on a late spring afternoon at the peak of afternoon warmth, this is a lovely snack. If you happen to be sitting in the Oregon countryside observing an impending but far off rain cloud, all the better. After all, those April showers have brought May flowers. You may as well eat them. The blossoms would make a nice little starter for company as well.

The sage and chive blossoms in their herb pots at our back door inspired this dish. Catch the blossoms while they are young and tender for the most subtle flavor. Serve with a little aioli on the side.

Tempura Frizzled Herb Blossoms

Washed and well-dried herb blossoms (chive, sage, oregano, etc.), long stems intact (do this up to several ours in advance, as your blossoms need to be impeccable dry for the batter to stick and to avoid massive oil splattering)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan or Parmesan-Reggiano

pinch salt

a few grinds of fresh black pepper

3/4 cup seltzer or club soda, more or less

Combine dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in seltzer or club soda until batter is smooth and lump-free, adding more liquid as necessary to make a thinnish batter.

Heat 1/2 inch canola or vegetable oil to 355 degrees in a heavy skillet. Swirl a few blossoms into the batter, shaking off excess over bowl. Place blossoms into heated oil, leaving stem ends out of the oil. With tongs, turn frequently to brown evenly on all sides, a total of 1-2 minutes per blossom. I found it easiest to put only 3-4 blossoms into the oil at once, as they do require constant attention and turning to keep from burning. Bring oil back to temperature after each batch and do it again until all blossoms are crispy and brown.

Consume with dispatch with a glass of chilled white wine.