Cooking with flowers doesn’t need to be relegated to fine dining. Many wild and cultivated flowers are not only bountiful but make delicious additions to both simple home-cooked meals and special-occasion dishes.
Brought over to North America from Asia in the 1700s and planted by homesteaders, the hearty daylily has since taken over fi elds, roadsides and wooded paths and is now considered by many field guides to be a wild plant. Daylilies are a favorite harvest item for many foragers, off ering up several edible parts including tubers, new shoots, buds and flowers. The mild and fragrant buds and flowers can be used in pastas, omelets, rice dishes and soups, and fried up golden brown as a vegetable side dish. Though each individual flower is only open for one day, the plant’s abundance and long blooming window makes it a great seasonal addition to your kitchen.
Ingredients
- Daylily flowers and large, nearly open buds (Avoid picking flowers from areas that are likely to be sprayed with pesticides)
- 1 cup flour plus more for dredging
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Water
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
Whisk together flour, milk, salt and baking powder. The batter consistency should be slightly thicker than heavy cream. Add water to thin out the batter if it seems too thick, or add slightly more flour if it seems too thin. Place more flour in a separate shallow bowl for dredging.
Heat 1–2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Oil is hot enough when a drop of batter carefully added to the pan sizzles and begins to brown.
Dredge buds and fl owers in the flour, coating them completely and shaking off any excess. Dip the dredged buds and fl owers into the batter one at a time, carefully placing them in the hot oil. Fry and flip until all sides are a crispy, golden brown, making sure to remove any batter drops that begin to burn.
Using a slotted spoon, remove fritters from the pan and place on a paper towel–lined platter. Serve hot on their own or alongside a garlic aioli dipping sauce.
