Tempura Fried Crab Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Rachel planted a ton of squash in our garden this season. And because they are squash, doing squash things, they have taken over a good portion of the garden. They’ve laid claim to everything they touch, and seem to grow a foot a day, expanding their domain. Neither of us is complaining- it's nice to see our garden thriving, though we will probably have more squash than we can possibly eat.

With this expanse of squash, we have a bounty of squash blossoms. If you’re not familiar, these edible flowers are mild in flavor and texture. They’re beautiful blooms, and pollinators love them, but they also make the perfect vehicle for stuffing with savory fillings and frying.

At my last job, I used to pipe squash blossoms full of goat cheese and herbs to make what is essentially a flowery fried cheese stick. Those always sold out. Just like soft shell crabs, this ephemeral ingredient disappears after a short window. You have to enjoy them while they are available- eat as many as you can, because life is short and so is summer.

There aren't too many things that would be bad stuffed into a squash blossom and fried, but nothing screams summer in the Chesapeake Bay area more than crabmeat. So it felt appropriate to pick some crabs, stuff the meat into some flowers, and fry them in a light tempura batter. These little handheld crab poppers are divine.

The filling for this recipe is minimal: crab, some lemon, mustard, and an egg white to help hold it together. Basil helps round out the summer vibes.

Tempura Fried Crab Stuffed Squash Blossom Recipe

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

~12 squash blossoms

½ pound cooked crab meat

zest of half lemon

juice of half lemon

1 egg white, whipped

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

2 tsp whole grain mustard

salt to taste

frying oil

Tempura batter:

⅓ cup flour

⅓ cup potato starch

~½ cup water

1 egg

Method

Mix your tempura batter with chopsticks or fork. Stir lightly- overmixing will cause the gluten to bind and create a “doughy” batter. There will be clumps in the batter, this is normal. Keep the batter cold until use.

Mix crab meat with lemon juice, zest, mustard, basil, and egg white. Season to taste.

Using your hands, grab around a tablespoon of filling and stuff it into a blossom. This filling is too thick to pipe in with a bag. Don’t overfill- you need to be able to close the blossom and bread and fry it without the filling spilling out. Repeat until you run out of either blossoms or filling- whichever comes first. Lay each stuffed blossom on a sheet pan or cutting board once filled.

Preheat about one inch of frying oil to 375F.

Pinch the open end of the blossoms and dunk into tempura batter, then lower gently into preheated frying oil. Cook for about 1 minute, until just golden. Flip halfway through. Work in small batches, and allow to drain on a wire rack or paper towel lined pan.

Serve immediately with remoulade, lemon labneh, or any zesty sauce.