Elderflower Recipe

for the abundance of in season elderflower from the Kitchen at Blackwater Castle.

At this time of year elderflower is everywhere and the normal stock in trade wine and cordial is on the minds of some.  We love elderflower cordial in this house and will drop a line on a simple way to make this most refreshing of sups later, also perhaps a terrific lemonade too. What I wanted to share was a more unusual elderflower recipe. I openly admit I have borrowed this elderflower recipe as I can put my hand up and say I would never have thought of this.  Elderflower fritters.  Yip I know…  anyway they are so tasty and in effect they are for nothing- a drop of milk, some flour, and egg is not a piggy bank buster.  Very unusual, lovely aromatic taste, and well worth experimenting with.

Elderflower recipe

For the batter, separate 2 eggs and whisk the whites until you get the soft peaks.

Put 110g plain flour, 200ml of milk and the 2 egg yolks in a bowl and beat together well.

Fold the whites into the mixture, gently does it, as you want to keep the air in.

Then simply dip the flower heads in the batter and shallow or deep fry at 180c until golden in colour.  That simple.  The recipe I read then said to sprinkle with caster sugar and dip in warm maple syrup, perhaps I might use as a hat on a fresh fruit salad.  I have tried and prefer them with fish. So far they have gone very well with battered cod (squeeze of lemon) and as a topping on a bowl of chowder.  I am going to try them at the next BBQ as a topping to the wonderful pork chop in a bun instead of apple sauce.

Here are some video links to elderflower growing on the banks of the River Awbeg on the private stretch of river that flows through the Castle grounds.  No soundtrack required here – just the magical sounds of nature!

Please let us know how you get on and if you have other ideas pertaining to wild flowers in cooking we would love to hear them.  Or how about your own elderflower recipe?