Preparation: 15 Min
Cooking: 15 Min
Rest: 2 Hours
Difficulty: Easy
Serves for: 4 people
FLOUR TYPE 0
300 g
WATER
240 ml
FRESH SQUASH BLOSSOMS
100 gr
FRESH BREWER’S YEAST
5 gr
GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
2 tbsp.
EGG
1
SALT
1 pinch
PEANUT OIL
to taste.
Sciurilli fritters are a mouth-watering and irresistible appetizer made from battered and fried squash blossoms. A great classic of Neapolitan tradition, they are prepared in the fry shops in the alleys of the historic center and enjoyed inside the famous cuoppo together with crocchè, rice balls and fried pizzelle. Also known as “pizzelle di sciurilli,” they are a variation of zeppoline di pasta cresciuta, savory fritters that can be prepared plain or with the addition of seaweed.
The squash blossoms, or sciurilli in Neapolitan dialect, are pureed in a leavened batter and then dipped in hot oil: the result is fluffy, tasty fritters that will literally go down a storm. Indeed, squash blossoms, whether fried or baked, demonstrate great versatility in the kitchen and are loved by young and old alike. Colorful and very scenic, they are typically spring vegetables, available in a very short period: therefore it is good to take advantage of them as long as they are in season.
The dough is made with eggs, flour, water, cheese and yeast, thus ensuring a soft and super fluffy result. For this reason, sciurilli fritters require a rest of about two hours, which is the time it takes for the batter to double, before being dipped by spoonfuls into boiling oil. Unlike classic fritters, moreover, in this recipe the flowers are not pureed in the batter in their entirety, but chopped up.
Find out how to make them by following step-by-step procedure and tips. If you liked this recipe, don’t miss frittatine di pasta, one of the most beloved street foods in Campania cuisine, and zucchini flowers in batter.
How to prepare sciurilli fritters
Clean the flowers by detaching the petals from the pistil. Then rinse and pat them dry
Cut them up using kitchen scissors.
Dissolve the yeast in a bowl with the water.
Add the flour, then the egg and Parmesan cheese, mixing with a fork. Complete with a pinch of salt.
Add at this point the chopped flowers l and mix everything with a spatula.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and wait for it to double in volume. It will take between one and two hours.
Fill a deep skillet 2/3 full with seed oil and heat it until, by dipping a wooden stick, you see bubbles rise to the surface.
Drop one tablespoon of batter at a time into the oil, forming the pancakes. Flip them halfway through cooking to let them brown on both sides.
Drain the sciurilli fritters on paper towels and serve piping hot
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