Ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers

Remove the inner stem inside the zucchini flowers and discard, wipe any dirt off carefully with a damp paper towel. In a bowl mix together the ricotta, lemon zest, chili flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Using a teaspoon stuff the flowers with around 1 tsp to 1 1/2 tsp of ricotta mixture. Add a little more to larger flowers or a little less to extra small ones. Twist the tops very slightly and delicately to help seal them shut.

Add the oil to a large heavy based saucepan over a medium/low heat. Test the oil is ready with a small piece of bread. If it floats and turns a light golden colour it's ready. To make the batter add the flour to a large bowl and gradually add the sparkling water whilst whisking to avoid any lumps.

Holding the top of the zucchini flower, dip it into the batter until completely covered then carefully place in the hot oil (always place the flowers in the oil away from yourself). Fry the flowers in batches of 3 or 4 to avoid cooling down the oil too much. Fry for a minute or two until crispy then remove with a slotted spoon onto some kitchen paper to drain.

Sprinkle over a little salt and squeeze over a wedge of lemon juice, serve.