FRIED CORGETTE FLOWERS

The perfect snack for when that moment of pure, tum gripping hunger hits after a day by the sea, fried corgette flowers are easy to make and even easier to eat.
Having bought at least two packets of the flowers, take them home and clean them thoroughly.  We remove the piston and cut them open to then rinse them quickly under the tap to remove any pollen and dry them gently in paper towel.  But you can also leave them whole should you wish to take the trattoria route and stuff them with pieces of mozarella and anchovies before dipping in the batter and frying them.  We tend to open them up to get a really crisp finish that crunches on the tooth and melts in the mouth.

Whilst someone is patting the flowers dry, make a batter from flour, beer and a small drop of oil.  For really professional results you should leave this in the fridge for around half an hour, but for the more impatient and peckish it is possible to proceed right away.   Dip the flowers (stuffed or otherwise) into the batter, and fry them gently but firmly ie: not too low but not too high a heat, until they are a golden brown colour.  Lift them out of the frying pan, place on more kitchen towel to remove excess grease, add salt to taste and eat immediately and quickly to ensure you get your fair share as they tend to fly off the plate.