Stuffed Courgette Flowers
It’s mid-September and I am amazed to find flowers on my courgette plants at this point of the season. Since late June I’ve had a constant supply of plump, green courgettes to taste and prepare in as many different ways as I can imagine. After ThermoHubby John’s Courgette Gaspacho with Mint, my Blue Cheese and Cucumber (or Courgette) Maki and my Courgette Tabouleh/Couscous, here is my method for stuffing the lovely yellow flowers to make a delicious, delicate dish.
You can make any kind of stuffing you like, using any sort of flavour combinations you please, like leftover risotto, seasoned sausage meat, a mix of vegetables and breadcrumbs or cooked rice (for a gluten free version). This is one of those “play it by ear and get inspired” pseudo recipes; no specific weights or measurements; not many specific ingredients. So go for it – the only limits are those of your imagination!
Madame Thermomix’s Stuffed Courgette Flowers
A classic, delicate dish that you can adapt to your favourite flavours – Asian, Italian, whatever. Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course.
Ingredients
a dozen courgette flowers
your chosen stuffing
a few slices of stale bread
a few sprigs of fresh herbs such as those you may have used in your stuffing
50 to 100 g Parmesan cheese, in chunks
olive oil to grease the pan
Method
- Wash the courgette flowers to remove all traces of dirt, sand and/or insects. Drain well and pat dry or gently spin in a salad spinner.
- Prepare a stuffing with your favourite flavour combinations and the ingredients you have to hand, such as sausage meat, fresh herbs, some breadcrumbs or cooked rice.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C. Take the courgette flowers one by one and delicately open the petals.
- Stuff each flower with a bit of stuffing (a tablespoon or two, depending on flower size), and then
- Gently twist the petals to close the flower.
- As you go along, arrange the stuffed flowers in a greased baking dish.
- Place stale bread, herbs and Parmesan chunks in your Thermomix bowl and Turbo pulse into herby cheesy breadcrumbs. Sprinkle them over the stuffed flowers.
- Bake about 20 minutes or until the stuffing is cooked and the breadcrumbs are nicely golden.
Enjoy with a nice glass of wine chosen to go with your stuffing flavours (Italian wine with Italian-style stuffing, a nice rosé with an Asian-style stuffing, etc.).
Bon appétit !
1. Wash the courgette flowers to remove all traces of dirt, sand and/or insects.
2. Drain well and pat dry or gently spin in a salad spinner.
3. Take the courgette flowers one by one and delicately open the petals.
4. Stuff each flower with a bit of stuffing (a tablespoon or two, depending on flower size), and then
5. Gently twist the petals to close the flower.
6. As you go along, arrange the stuffed flowers in a greased baking dish.
7. Sprinkle them over the stuffed flowers.
8. Bake about 20 minutes or until the stuffing is cooked and the breadcrumbs are nicely golden.
