I’m very sorry I didn’t discover the joy of yucca flowers until just a few days ago, when I went crabbing with a friend. She’s an avid forager and wild-to-table chef, so her knowledge of edible wild foods is extensive and impressive (if not sometimes terrifying.) The area where we go crabbing had yucca plants in full bloom—and these tropical, spiky, aloe looking plants have turned out to thrive here (and colder!) Their flowers are white, bell shaped, reminding me of young magnolia.

But I was not convinced. After all, I don’t particularly enjoy eating flowers or getting a mouthful of perfume as many edible florals tend to be. Rose and lavender are the exception where I use them for flavorings, but not as a main star in any dish. So when she began collecting them, I asked her what they tasted like, out of curiosity. I had done some research on the plant, knowing that they contain chemical compounds that can be used to stun fish in water. I also knew people ate the flowers sautéed, and yucca root is often a potato substitute in many Latin American cuisines. She said she uses them simply, and that they were good—not bitter as wild food sometimes tend to be.

So I took a small bagful home, and decided that I’ll try them. After all, what could it hurt? In order to figure out what to do with them, I sautéed some of the flowers in butter to get a feel for their flavor… and MY. MIND. WAS. BLOWN. It tasted like artichoke hearts, slightly starchy, vegetative, and of course, very tender. I now know the value of this plant and never shall I question its worth again. After all, a plant that is forgiving to drought, poor sandy soils, and saltwater and also provides multiple uses from food to something that can help catch food? It for sure deserves a bright spot in my garden and on my blog.

So I concocted this recipe using the crab we caught (we split the four very large males so we got two each), a leftover charred corn on the cob, and freshly foraged yucca flowers to create a crispy, cheesy, delicious treat, served with my pesto remoulade. I reserved the liquid and tomalley released by the crabs I steamed to use in the rice, which is cooked similar to risotto. I was originally concerned it wouldn’t hold, but was pleasantly surprised. The key is really to cool the rice down in the fridge for a few hours so you can easily form the balls.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup arborio or sushi rice
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or crab broth
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup blue claw crab meat
• 1/2 cup sweet corn kernals
• 1 tablespoon Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• flour, for dredging
• breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
• Enough vegetable oil to cover an inch on the bottom of a pan, for frying
• About 24 yucca blossoms/flowers

1. Sauté rice in butter and oil over medium high heat until rice is opaque white. Immediately stir in broth and milk, reduce to low, and cover. Stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from burning.
2. When the rice is cooked all the way through and the liquid has been absorbed, add crab meat, parmesan/pecorino cheese, corn, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and place in the fridge until cool and solidified. Mix with mozzarella cheese after everything is cooled.
3. Wash yucca flowers. Spoon about one and a half tablespoons of the rice mixture into each yucca flower and press into a ball.
4. Toss balls in flour (to help bread crumbs stay), dip in egg wash, and cover in bread crumbs.
5. Heat oil over medium high heat, so that breading thrown in bubbles and sizzles. Fry arancini on all sides until golden.
6. Serve hot, with remoulade or marinara sauce.