We do quite like Elderflowers here at Wild Food People HQ; as it is in abundance for a relatively short time we tend to make the most of it (whilst still leaving plenty behind to turn into berries) In my opinion Elderflower fritters are probably one of the best things to make with the flower heads, relatively low effort for quite a fancy looking food which is bound to impress….and be really tasty!
This recipe does involve deep frying, so common sense should be used at all times, however I did once make these for Freddie Flintoff and Jason Manford whilst perched on a wooded hill, sadly the fritters didn’t make the cut.
These can be served alongside fish to provide that bit of crispy batter, or as a light dessert with fresh fruit, cream and a drizzle of honey.
Ingredients
- 5-10 elderflower heads, picked when young but open and devoid of insects (give them a shake)
- 100g of plain white flour
- 2 Tbsp of oil (plus more oil for pan)
- 175-200ml sparkling water
- 1 Tbsp of sugar for batter (you can omit this if you would like savoury fritters)
- Small bowl of caster sugar for dipping, amount to taste
- White of one egg
You will also need:
A tall sided pan or pot is good for cooking these as you will need around 1 inch (2cm) of hot oil to fry them in.
A plate with a clean sheet of kitchen towel or a cooling rack are good to have nearby to allow for excess oil to drip off after frying.
Method
- Gather your elderflower heads, de-insect them and break the umbel of florets down into the smaller sections on each stalk (take the big cluster and divide into the smaller cluster, leaving the short stem attached)
- Sift the flour into a basin, add the oil and sparkling water
- Beat to a paste then stir in the sugar. Set to one side for 30 minutes or so.
- Rinse elderflower heads briefly in cold water and shake
- Heat pan of oil (about 2-3cm deep). Test oil temperature with a cube of white bread – it should change to golden-brown in seconds.
- Fold the egg white into the batter paste immediately before next step
- Dip floret of elderflower into batter then lower them carefully into oil, holding the floret by the stem and pushing down slightly to immerse it in the oil
- Fry until batter is golden and crisp, then carefully lift from oil and dip into bowl of caster sugar (A short visit to some kitchen paper between pan and sugar will help remove excess oil).
- Consume immediately – cold elderflower fritters can taste a little odd but warm ones are fantastic!
Notes:
Delicious served with drizzled honey or tart fruit sauces. I have also served them alongside freshly-cooked fish, but there is a lot of cooking and faffery to look after at the same time so may be best attempted with an assistant!
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