Queen Annes Lace Sweet Fritters

Our little patch of wild garden has been completely overrun by Queen Annes Lace, this year. In fact I’ve seen a lot more of it on our hikes too so perhaps the mild conditions of this summer have been perfect for it to thrive. It’s also called Wild Carrot and its blossoms make the most delicious fritters! To shake things up I’ve sweetened this batter ever so slightly and added a little shake of powdered sugar to finish them off. These fritters taste very mildly of carrot, are so easy to make, and such a treat!

Here are a few tips to help you identify Queen Annes Lace/ Wild Carrots:

Queen Annes Lace or wild carrot as its sometimes called is easy to identify when you know how! BUT it required focus and experience to forage as it can be confused with Hemlock, which is highly poisonous.

• Queen Annes Lace has a mild yet distinct smell of carrots.
• Often but not always there is one small dark red flower in the center of the flower head.
• There is a little arrangement of green leaves that hang downwards just under the flower head.
• The stalks are slightly hairy and are hollow.
• When the flowers turn to seed they curl upwards and form what looks like a bird’s nest.

Leaves

Flowers

I erred on the side of caution and chose flower heads that grew on the same stalks that had already gone to seed. There is no mistaking the ‘ bird’s nest’ of seeds. Because it’s late in the season my flower heads were small in diameter and perfectly bite sized!

It’s easiest to harvest these flowers using a garden scissors and remember to leave a few inches of stalk.

I also reccomend wearing gloves! Wild carrot ( along with regualar carrots, parnsips, and parsley ) can cause phytophotodermatitis . I’ve never had an issue but my daughter picked some wild blossoms at school and was badly burned on her arm. As with most things, it takes time to learn all the ins and outs in order to forage safely.

Ingredients

• 15-20 Queen Annes Lace / Wild Carrot blossoms – leave 2-3 inches / 5 cm of stalk attached to the flower head
• 1/2 Cup /60g All purpose flour
• 1/4 Cup / 60ml Milk – you can use plant-based milk if you wish
• 1/4 / 60ml Cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Sugar – you can omit the sugar if you prefer
• Pinch of salt
• 1 Cup/250ml of coconut oil or frying oil of choice
• 2 teaspoons Powdered sugar – omit if you prefer to make this recipe savory

You can also use a sourdough batter for this recipe as in this Sourdough Dandelion Fritters recipe. I used an unsweetened batter in this Wild Garlic Fritters Recipe and you can use that if you prefer.

Equipment

• Small pot
• Paper towels – kitchen paper or a clean tea towel to place the fritters on.
• Small sieve
• Food Thermometer -You can also use a wooden spoon to check if the oil is hot enough.

Instructions

1.Whisk together the flour, milk, water, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Add the coconut oil to the pan and allow it to melt over medium heat. You will need enough oil to cover the base of the pan with about an inch of oil; add more if necessary. Raise the temperature to medium-high heat to bring the oil to a suitable temperature.
– Ideally between 170C and 180C (335F-350F)
-You can also use a wooden spoon to check if the oil is hot enough. Simply insert a wooden spoon into the oil. If bubbles start dispersing around the spoon, then the oil is hot enough.

3. Holding the stalk, dip the wild carrot blossoms into the batter, making sure the whole flower head is covered. Tap the flower head gently on the side of the bowl a few times to remove excess batter. Carefully dip the flower head into the hot oil, stalk upright. ( I held the stalk momentarily until the flowers puffed out and then I let go) Fry until golden brown and allow them to dry slightly on a few sheets of kitchen paper.

4. Dust lightly with powdered sugar and enjoy as they are or serve with vanilla ice cream.