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COURGETTE FLOWERS WITH RICOTTA AND SWEET BASIL SAUCE

Courgette flowers are another of those wondrous ingredients that signal the arrival of warmer weather. Not much needs doing to them as they are perfect simply fried in a little oil and served with this sauce. Choose the flowers that are large and firm, as they can accommodate more stuffing and will retain their shape better when cooked.

Serves: 4 as a starter

100g ricotta cheese

grated zest of ½ lemon

4 courgette flowers

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE TEMPURA BATTER

6 tbsp cornflour

3 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting

3–6 tbsp soda water

FOR THE SWEET BASIL SAUCE

1 bunch of basil, leaves only

juice of 1 lemon

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp drained, chopped capers in brine

1 tbsp runny honey

Mix the ricotta with the lemon zest and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Fill each courgette flower with the mix and chill while you make the batter (you can stuff them up to 2 hours ahead of time, if you wish).

To make the tempura batter, mix the cornflour and flour together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in enough of the soda water to make a thick batter. Season with a pinch of sea salt.

To make the sweet basil sauce, place all the ingredients in a small food processor and blend until smooth.

To fry the flowers, pour enough vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer or large, deep saucepan to come up to 4–6cm and heat it to 180°C.

Dust two of the courgette flowers in flour, dip them in the batter, then carefully place them in the hot oil. Fry for 4–6 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Remove each flower with a large slotted spoon and transfer to kitchen paper to remove any excess oil, then season with sea salt if needed. Repeat with the remaining two flowers.

Serve immediately with the basil sauce.