Recipes

Elderflower Fritters Recipe

14th June 2018

As I write this I can look out of the office window and see literally hundreds of elderflower heads in the hedgerows surrounding the neighbouring fields. The late snows and dry spring of 2018 has led to them being a bit later than expected for North Wales, but the tardiness of arrival has been made up for in quantity!

Elderflower Cordial

Every year I try and make several batches of Elderflower Champagne, Elderflower Cordial and mix up some batter for Elderflower fritters. The tightly-clustered fragrant flowers are just so easy to use and to harvest – we’ve got more information on Elder foraging and other edible UK species. The following recipe is our tried and tested method for making Elderflower fritters. This dish has got to be the easiest way to work with foraged elder flowers, and they are a good way of actually consuming them rather than extracting the flavour for champagne or cordial.

Prep Time20 min
Cook Time5 min
Total Time25 min

Equipment

Deep pan or pot for frying (will need to contain an inch or so of oil
Sieve
Scales
Measures
Wooden spoon

Ingredients

5-10 elderflower heads, picked when young but open and devoid of insects (give them a shake)
100g of plain white flour
2 Tbsp of oil (plus more oil for pan)
175-200ml sparkling water
1 Tbsp of sugar for batter
Small bowl of caster sugar for dipping, amount to taste
White of one egg

Method

Gather your elderflower heads, de-insect them and break the umbel of florets down into the smaller sections on each stalk (take the big cluster and divide into the smaller cluster, leaving the short stem attached)

Sift the flour into a basin, add the oil and sparkling water

Beat to a paste then stir in the sugar. Set to one side for 30 minutes or so.

Rinse elderflower heads in cold water

Heat pan of oil (about 1-2cm deep). Test oil temperature with a cube of white bread – it should change to golden-brown in seconds.

Fold the egg white into the batter paste immediately before next step

Dip floret of elderflower into batter then lower them carefully into oil, holding the floret by the stem and pushing down slightly to immerse it in the oil

Fry until batter is golden and crisp, then carefully lift from oil and dip into bowl of caster sugar (A short visit to some kitchen paper between pan and sugar will help remove excess oil).

Consume immediately – cold elderflower fritters can taste a little odd but warm ones are fantastic!

NOTES:

They go well with drizzled honey or tart fruit sauces. I have also served them alongside freshly-cooked fish, but there is a lot of cooking and faffery to look after at the same time so may be best attempted with an assistant!

Richard Prideaux

A Mountain Leader with over a decade of experience across the UK and overseas, Richard is our Lead Instructor and a partner in Original Outdoors. He is a specialist in temperate wilderness skills and the wild foods of the British Isles, and also works as a consultant for various brands and organisations. Richard lives in North Wales.

A Life more Wild.

A Life More Wild is the philosophy which underpins everything we do.

It encompasses practical skills, personal development, community learning and a journey to live more intentionally.

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Elderflower Fritters Recipe