Bethany Kehdy

A Champion of Middle Eastern Food & Recipes

Pan-Fried Courgette Flowers Stuffed with Chili & Dill Labneh

Courgette flowers stuffed with chili labneh

There’s something dreamy about courgette blossoms. They are incredibly delicate and I love their vibrant green and yellow tones. I was first introduced to the idea of eating a courgette flower, in my early teens, nowhere else but in Provence by my, then, French step-mother. She didn’t do much to them but drop them in a light batter before frying them. They were simple but so wonderfully fulfilling. Having grown up, for part of my childhood on a farm in Lebanon, so close to the land and harvesting our own vegetables, I am intrigued that I have no recollection of us ever cooking with the flowers, although we had a bounty of “koussa” or courgettes and their flowers, each year.

Truth be told, it’s not much of a revelation to stuff courgettes with creamed herb fillings. I wanted to add a special Lebanese touch and opted to use labneh, a tangy strained yogurt, so quintessential to an authentic Lebanese diet. Labneh is very easy to make at home, is very healthy and a great option for those that are lactose-intolerant. The addition of chili and dill is not traditional at all but really livens up the recipe. If you like more heat, then by all means add another chili.

 

Courgette flowers stuffed with chili labneh

Unless you grow your own courgettes, you’ll most likely only find courgette flowers at a farmer’s market. To prepare, remove the stamen or pistil from the inside of the flower and then give the flowers a delicate wash in a bowl of cold water. Gently pat them dry and wipe away any excess moisture with a paper towel. Do not put them under running water as that can damage the flowers. It’s important they are dry when you begin working with them so not to yield soggy results. This all said, do not be put off at trying this recipe. It is very easy to recreate at home. I promise.

Courgette flowers stuffed with chili labneh

 

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Pan-Fried Courgette Flowers Stuffed with Chili & Dill Labneh

Serves 4-6

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

10 courgette flowers, washed and spun dry

For the Labneh

200g home-made labneh

1 chili, seeds removed & finely chopped

1 heaping tbsp dill, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

For the batter

125ml/ 1/2 cup white sparkling wine

100g self-raising flour

1 egg, whisked

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

For the tomato & olive salsa

1 tomato

40g pitted black olives, finely chopped

1 heaping tbsp dill

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp lemon

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Sunflower oil, for frying

Piping bag (ziplock bag will do too)

The nitty-gritty

  1. Prepare the labneh by mixing in the chili, dill & garlic. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Set aside.
  2. Prepare the salsa by combining the tomatoes, olives, dill, olive oil and a little lemon. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, add the flour and whisked egg and then drizzle in the sparkling wine. whisk well till the batter is as thick as pouring cream and there are no lumps.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
  4. Fill a Ziplock bag with the labneh, squeeze out as much air and seal the bag by twisting, making sure labneh is compact. Using a scissor, snip off a diagonal corner. Gently stuff each courgette flower by piping in the labneh and then twisting the ends to close the flower.
  5. Meanwhile, add enough oil to a large frying pan (enough to coat half the courgettes) on medium-high heat. Test by dropping a small piece of bread into the oil and when it sizzles and turns golden, the oil is ready.
  6. Gently drop each stuffed courgette flower in the batter, holding them by the twisted end, and then into the hot oil. Repeat with as many as you can fit into the frying pan. Cook for 7-10 minutes on each side, till golden.
  7. Transfer immediately to a serving plate lined with napkin. Serve immediately with tomato & olive salsa.

 

9 thoughts on “Pan-Fried Courgette Flowers Stuffed with Chili & Dill Labneh

  1. Stuffed courgette flowers are one of my all time favourite recipes EVER! Sadly they are very hard to come across where I live, and if you do, they end up going for extortionate prices (Borough Market, I’m talking to you!). This recipe looks so incredibly delicious I’m bookmarking it in case I do get my hands on some 🙂

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