Fried Dandelions
Fried dandelions are a local favorite back in West Virginia, up in the Appalachian Mountains. This is my mom's recipe and consists of picking the largest dandelion flowers and leaving the entire stem behind, battering the flowers up and frying them in butter. They have a flavor similar to that of mushrooms and are delicious!
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
4 large eggs
80 unopened dandelion blossoms, stems removed
½ cup butter
Directions
Combine flour, seasoned salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl until evenly combined; set aside. Beat eggs in a mixing bowl, then stir in dandelion blossoms until completely coated.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove half of the dandelions from egg mixture, and allow the excess egg to drip away. Toss in flour until completely coated, then remove and toss between your hands to allow excess flour to fall away. Cook coated dandelions in the melted butter until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining dandelions.
Cook’s Note
To avoid a bitter taste, make sure the dandelion flowers you're picking have not been sprayed by dogs or pesticides.
Prepare the dandelion flowers ahead of time by submerging them in a bowl of room-temperature water with about 1 tablespoon salt added to the water. This rids the flowers of any insects that could be in the blossoms. Soak for about 10 minutes. Rinse the flowers in fresh water. Using a salad spinner works nicely to rinse and dry the dandelion flowers.
There is a variety of dandelion that has a thin solid stalk, and this is not the flower to use. Make sure the dandelions you pick have a tubular stalk.
As an option, canola or vegetable oil can be used to fry the dandelions, but the flavor will change accordingly.
Try using some other spices, like garlic powder, in seasoning to taste.
Editor's Notes:
The nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of the breading ingredients. The actual amount of the breading consumed will vary.
We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.
CR :: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/214172/fried-dandelions-appalachian-style/
