DEEP FRIED WILDFLOWERS SAVORY CHIACCHERE

Flowers are blooming, meadows are gently waving in the wind, showing the vibrant violet of Salvia pratensis flowers. On my way home I see a elder tree with branches bent beneath the weight of its umbrella-like inflorescences. The scent fills my nostrils.

I couldn’t resist the temptation, it is too much of a good thing. I give myself an hour of freedom for cooking something with elderflowers and sage flowers. I invited for lunch my most fearsome food critic: my father. Just to get some advantage I go for a deep fried recipe … everybody likes fritters.

Result? the next day he asked me to make them again: promoted, I would say!

Salvia pratensis

Every part of the meadow sage plant is edible. Its scent is similar to the garden sage’s, but more delicate. In my opinion the most interesting and scented part are the vibrant violet flowers. The spikes have glandular hairs, which make them a little bit sticky when handled.

Wildflowers chiacchere recipe

Inspiration came from the “gnocco fritto” from Modena. But I did not have the time to let it rise. So no yeast here.

I tried as well the alternative addition of wholemeal flour or buckwheat flour. I like them both, but the buckwheat one does not swell when fried (it’s the one shown in pictures).

Just flour, milk, water, wildflowers, salt and a few butter

Ingredients:

180 gr all-purpose flour
70 gr wholemeal flour or buckwheat flour
125 ml milk and water (half each)
20-30 gr melted butter (lard is even better)
Salt to taste
2 bowls of wild flowers (I used meadow sage and elderflowers)
Oil for the deep-fry (more or less 1 litre)

Preparation:

Mix the two different flours, salt, butter and warmed milk+water. Work the dough and add the flowers. For the sage one I added some dried garden sage leaves, just to “push” the scent a little bit. Knead until you have a uniform dough, then form a ball and let it sit for half an hour. Cover it with a damp cloth.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and cut it into strips 6 cm wide and about 12 cm long. Deep fry them in oil. Serve them immediately, with cold cuts, salami and cheese. In a warm spring day the addition of a cold melon would be great!