These Frittelle di fiori di sambuco are a delicious summery snack!
Ingredients:
- 10 elderflower flower heads
- 100g plain flour
- a pinch of salt
- 150ml light beer or lager
- 1 medium free-range egg
- groundnut or sunflower oil, for frying
- a few spoonfuls of runny honey
Method:
- Be sure you know the difference between elderflower and cow parsley… And poison hemlock!
- Collect the elderflowers, with some stem, when they are in full flower (they should be white). Be sure to gather them from an area away from any busy roads. Give them a gentle shake to remove any small insects. You can rinse them under the tap, but if you do, they won’t be as fragrant as you’ll be removing some of the pollen.
- To make the batter, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Next, add the beer and egg, then whisk until the batter is smooth. Pour some oil into a heavy-based deep-sided frying pan (the oil should reach about 4cm up the side of the pan). Heat the oil until it is moderately hot, but not smoking. Next, holding the stem, dip the elderflowers into the batter. Allow the excess batter to drip off for a second and then gently place into the hot oil. Fry for about 2-3 minutes.
- Once golden, remove the flowers from the oil and place on a sheet of absorbent paper. Serve immediately with a generous trickle of honey.