It’s early spring and Dandelions are in bloom. These proliferous plants with yellow flowers that most people call weeds are bee friendly and delicious. The whole plant is nutritious. The young leaves can be steamed, added raw to salads, made into tea, or added to soup.
One of my favorite spring time treats are their blossoms fried into golden medallions. When picking their flowers make sure you leave enough for the bees, who are also hungry for these early spring blossoms. A dozen flowers is plenty for two people. When picking dandelion make sure the plants has not been sprayed.
To make dandelion medallions mix a simple batter and fry the flowers in a lightly oiled pan. My favorite basic batter is half beer, half apple juice, corn flour, and salt to taste. If using beer a hint of maple syrup or other sweetener is nice. Corn flour makes the batter crisp, golden and gluten free.
Ingredients:
½ c. beer or apple juice (Half and half is very nice if you have both.)
3-4 Tbs. corn flour or other flour (The amount depends on the flour, add enough to make a smooth, creamy, crepe like batter. The batter will thicken over time.)
A pinch of salt (Add more if necessary to taste after frying.)
1-2 Tbs. oil for frying (Typically I use half Olive and half Avocado oil on medium heat.)
How to:
Give the flowers a light wash and gently pat dry.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium to medium/high heat. While oil is heating make the batter.
In a small bowl, mix the corn flour and salt into the beer/apple juice or cider. Stir together until well mixed. You should have a nice creamy, crepe-like batter.
When the oil is hot, dip each flower into the batter and place each one face down in the pan. Fry the flowers on one side until golden, then turn them over. Pat the stems down a little. Fry until golden brown. Remove the medallions and place them on absorbent paper to drain excess oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and enjoy as an appetizer or as part of a meal.
Variations:
If you happen to have sour-dough starter you might try adding a little starter to the batter. Kombucha, or a little white vine rather than beer also make very nice batters.