Crispy zucchini flowers stuffed with deep-fried pork and ricotta

Ingredients:

Stuffed zucchini flowers

• 1.5 cups ricotta
• Braised pork, see recipe below
• 20 zucchini flowers
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying
• Rice batter, recipe below
• Black Pepper Vinaigrette, recipe below

Braised pork

• 1 piece (1 kg) pork shoulder, cut into 5 cm cubes.
• 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 large red onion, coarsely chopped

Rice batter

• 2 cups of cold water
• 2 cups rice flour

Vinaigrette with black pepper

• 0.5 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 heaping tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Preparation:

1. Place the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined sieve placed over a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Discard any excess liquid.
2. In a bowl, combine the strained ricotta with the chopped braised pork, season with salt and pepper. Fill each zucchini flower with the meat and cheese mixture and seal tightly to prevent the filling from escaping during frying.
3. Fill a large, thick-bottomed saucepan halfway with vegetable oil and heat it to 180°C.
4. Dip each stuffed flower completely in the rice batter. Fry the flowers, several at a time, until golden brown, turning once. Then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
5. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the center of a serving plate and top with two stuffed flowers. Serve hot.
   
   Rice batterWhisk the water and flour until smooth and add salt. Let sit for 10 minutes before using the batter.
   
   Vinaigrette with black pepperIn a blender, combine vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and honey. Then, with the blender running, slowly pour in the oil until the mixture emulsifies.
6. Braised porkPreheat oven to 150°C.
   
   Place the diced pork in a small roasting pan. Mix the barbecue sauce, vinegar, and onion and pour the mixture over the pork. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the roasting pan with foil and simmer for 3.5 to 4 hours, until the pork is tender and flakes easily with a fork. Cool the pork in the liquid that has released. Then drain the liquid and tear the pork into small pieces.