i fiori fritti
fried zucchini flowers
zucchini flowers
flour (or a mix of flour and rice flour)
egg
fizzy water
salt
anchovies or cinnamon
extra virgin olive oil
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Rinse the flowers and let them dry thoroughly.
Make a thin batter with the flour, egg and fizzy water adding a pinch of cinnamon if you're not using the anchovies.
If you are using the anchovies carefully put an anchovy filet into each flower.
Heat about a 1/4 inch of olive oil in a small pan, drop a bit of batter into the oil to test the heat: it's ready when the batter floats and little bubbles form around the edges.
Lay the flowers in the batter and gently turn them over to coat with the batter. Transfer the coated flowers to the pan with the oil and fry for a minute or two on each side.
Remove to paper towels and sprinkle with salt while they are still hot.
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The anchovy version comes from Piero, he called them topi / mice for some reason, while the cinnamon version comes from the repertoire of a Florentine signora who cooked in the early 1900s.
While you're at it you might as well add some sage either single leaves dipped in batter or sandwich an anchovy between two sage leaves and fix them with a toothpick.