Huitlacoche And Goat Cheese Crisp With Zucchini Blossom Sauce Recipes

CRISP ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cover 3/4 tablespoon of the sumac with 1 tablespoon of boiling water and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Add both types of cheese, oregano, walnuts, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a generous grind of pepper. Mix well.
• Fill the flowers by carefully opening them and either spooning or piping about a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture into each, gently pushing the filling all the way to the bottom of each blossom but being careful not to fill them too much; if you can get someone to hold the flower open for you, it would make it much easier. Gently twist the tips of the petals to secure the filling inside and set aside until you're ready to fry.
• Pour enough oil into a medium (about 8-inch/20-centimeter) nonstick frying pan so that the oil rises about 1 inch/2 centimeters up the sides of the pan. Place on a high heat for 5 minutes and then turn the heat down a fraction.
• Meanwhile, mix the flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Slowly pour in the sparkling water, whisking continuously to form a smooth batter.
• When bubbles start to surface in the oil, test it by dropping some batter into the oil: if it sizzles, you are ready. (The oil should hover between 320 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit/160 and 180 degrees Celsius.)
• Lower a zucchini blossom into the batter, turning to coat completely, before carefully placing in the hot oil. Repeat, cooking a few blossoms at a time, adjusting the temperature between batches so they take about 30 seconds on each side to turn a golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and then sprinkle with salt and the remaining 1/4 tablespoon sumac. Serve at once with the lemon wedges alongside.

FRIED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ZUCCHINI PESTO

Steps:

• For the Blossoms: Carefully stuff each zucchini blossom with 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese. Fold over the petals to form an envelope. In a deep skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil to 375 degrees. Meanwhile put the flour in a mixing bowl. Pour in the seltzer a little at a time, whisking constantly to ensure a smooth batter. Season with salt and cayenne. When the oil is properly heated, dip a stuffed blossom into the batter to coat it evenly, scraping off any excess. Fry until crisp and golden, about 30 seconds per side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat process with all blossoms, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet and maintaining the proper oil temperature. For the Pesto: Quarter zucchini and cut into 1 inch pieces. Blanch zucchini for 2 minutes in salted boiling water, and then shock in ice bath to preserve color. Drain well and pat dry with cloth. Place blanched zucchini, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, basil leaves, garlic, in food processor and start to puree. With the motor running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until the pesto emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper taste.;

HUITLACOCHE AND GOAT CHEESE CRISP WITH ZUCCHINI BLOSSOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Pour oil into heavy skillet and saute the onions over medium heat until translucent and tender; add next three ingredients and continue to cook for another couple of minutes.
• Add the huitlacoche and the heavy cream and cook to reduce the cream completely.
• Take off of the burner; stir in the crumbled goat cheese, blending well until melted and allow to cool.
• Spread out a sheet of phyllo dough and brush thoroughly with melted butter, using a pastry brush.
• Repeat 3 times, stacking the sheets one on top of the other.
• Preheat oven to 350F and butter a baking pan.
• Spoon the huitlacoche filling on the phyllo sheets, lengthwise.
• Seal the short ends and roll to form a strudel.
• Place strudel on prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• While strudel is baking, saute the onions in 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat until soft.
• Add the garlic and cook until soft.
• Add the zucchini blossoms and cook until wilted.
• Add the chicken stock and cook until volume is reduced by half.
• Add the cream and reduce over medium heat for 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender and blend thoroughly.
• Add the remaining melted butter slowly until mixture is well blended.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Cut the strudel into slices about 2 x 2 pieces (or whatever size you wish) and garnish each with 2 tablespoons of zucchini blossom sauce.