Savory Ox-Eye Daisy Fritters (paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free recipe)

Fried and battered ox-eye daisies? That's right, we are going to make savory fritters with foraged ox-eye daisies. The odd shape of these fritters reminds me of calamari but their flavor is certainly their own and quite unique! 






You can go sweet or savory with this. I've included the savory version below but you can easily swap out the rosemary and oregano for cinnamon and sugar. Try dipping the sweet ox-eye daisy fritters in a yogurt sweetened with maple syrup. 

Daisies are part of the sunflower family. Thankfully, the sunflower family does not contain any poisonous plants! 

Before we begin, this post is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. Please do your own research thoroughly and take into consideration your own health. Don't eat or use something if you don't know what it is. Forage responsibly. 


Where to Harvest Ox-eye daisies? 

Ox-eye daisies are blooming everywhere and can tolerate over harvesting. Look for them near forest lines but mostly blooming in fields. Don't harvest too close to a road though!

How to Harvest Ox-Eye daisies?

Clip at the base of the stem. You can hold the stem at the top and slide your fingers down it to take the leaves off. The daisy head pops off easily.

What do Ox-eye daisies taste like?

Ox-eye daisy leaves look like little arugula leaves to me and they even taste a little like arugula with hints of celery. The daisy flower is an interesting and pretty addition to salads. Fried ox-eye daisy flower heads is a fun way to eat this. It's a hearty way to enjoy this fun vegetable.

The batter is paleo and grain-free but you are welcome to make batter that has other ingredients. 

Ox-Eye Daisy Fritters

Ingredients:

Ox-Eye daisy flower heads (1-2 cups)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup almond flour

1 cup arrowroot starch

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp rosemary

Pinch of Oregano

1/4 cup avocado oil

Marinara Sauce to dip the flower heads in (optional)

** If you want to make this with normal wheat flour, try 1 cup normal flour with 1/2 cup water and do the remainder of the recipe the same. 

Instructions:

1. Pop the flower heads off the stems. Rinse your ox-eye daisy flowerheads if so inclined. Pat them dry. 

2. Mix water, almond flour, arrowroot starch, large egg, 1/4 tsp salt, rosemary, and oregano together to make batter.

3. Heat avocado oil up over medium high heat in cast iron pan or heavy duty pan.

4. Dip daisy flowers in batter and plop in hot oil. Flip after 1-2 minutes (once browned). Cook another 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. 

5. Remove from heat and place on plate with marinara sauce (optional but a great dipping sauce for these). Enjoy! 


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If you'd like a place to keep this recipe and information about Ox-Eye daisies, I'd suggest my Foraging Journal available on amazon. You can also find a great source of foraging guides and books here on my post Foraging Library



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