Zucchini blossoms are an ingredient that always catches my eye in the early summertime, especially at the farmers’ markets here in my hometown of Chicago. They inspired me to come up with this recipe, my own interpretation of the classic stuffed zucchini blossoms of both Italian and Japanese cuisines. In this dish, I stuff the flowers with onion and shrimp, then fry them as tempura, a combination of flavors and textures that complements the toothsome soba.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 quart plus 1/4 cup vegetable oil

　　1/4 cup minced onion

　　10 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails off

　　2 egg yolks

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon pepper

　　12 zucchini blossoms

　　4 cups Hot Soba Broth (page 41)

　　8 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed and cut into thirds

　　12 ounces dried soba noodles

　　2 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced

　　

Tempura Batter

2 eggs

　　1 cup water

　　1 1/4 cups cake flour, plus 1/2 cup for dusting

　　

Step 1

Heat the 1 quart vegetable oil in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed sauepan to 325°F.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, cover the minced onion in cold water and soak for 10 minutes. To drain, wrap the onion in a paper towel and squeeze to remove excess moisture.

　　

Step 3

With a heavy knife, finely chop the shrimp until it begins to form a paste. There should still be small lumps of shrimp—it shouldn’t be completely smooth.

　　

Step 4

In a bowl, combine the onion and shrimp and mix well with a rubber spatula. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup vegetable oil (like making mayonnaise), and then combine well with the shrimp, and add the salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag.

　　

Step 5

Trim the stems of the zucchini blossoms and remove the pistils (the yellow pollen inside). Cut a small hole in the bottom of the pastry bag and pipe the shrimp mixture into a zucchini blossom until very full (about 1 tablespoon per blossom). Overlap the edges of the blossom to seal in the filling and set aside. Repeat with the remaining blossoms.

　　

Step 6

Prepare the tempura batter by beating together the eggs and water. Add 1 1/4 cups of the cake flour and mix together. The batter should be well combined but still have a few lumps.

　　

Step 7

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Also heat the broth over high heat. When the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover to keep warm.

　　

Step 8

Pour the remaining 1/2 cup cake flour onto a small bowl. Lightly dust the asparagus in the flour, then dip the pieces into the tempura batter. Carefully drop the asparagus into the fryer and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until cooked through, making sure the batter doesn’t turn brown. Remove from the fryer and place the asparagus on a paper towel–lined plate to drain excess oil.

　　

Step 9

Dust the stuffed zucchini blossoms with the flour and dip into the tempura batter. Fry the zucchini blossoms for 3 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through. Place on a paper towel–lined plate to drain the excess oil.

　　

Step 10

Cook the soba noodles in the boiling water for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the noodles are just cooked through but still al dente. Drain well.

　　

Step 11

To serve, divide the soba noodles among 4 bowls. Top each with 1 cup hot broth and one-fourth of the asparagus and zucchini blossoms. Garnish with the sliced scallions.

　　Takashi's Noodles