Pumpkin flower tempura filled with ginger ricotta

• 12 pumpkin flowers
• 300g ricotta cheese
• 30g fresh ginger
• 1 bunch chives
• 1l groundnut oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the tempura:

• 55g rice flour
• 55g 00 flour
• 160ml cold sparkling water

Peel and grate the ginger then press between two spoons over a cup or bowl to extract the juice.

Put the ricotta into a cheesecloth and squeeze out as much water as possible. Mix with salt, pepper and the ginger juice.

Carefully open up the pumpkin flowers, remove the pistil from the centre and fill each flower with a heaped teaspoon of the ricotta mix. Close up the blossom and tie with a chive stem.

Put the two flours in a large bowl and mix together with the cold sparkling water.

Use kitchen tongs to pick up each flower and dip them halfway into the batter being careful not to get the batter on the upper part. Then, still holding them with the tongs, briefly fry in a generous amount of hot oil. As soon as the batter is crispy, drain the flowers and serve immediately.