Ascolane Olives

A golden, crunchy crust that gives way to a fleshy olive and a smooth roasted meat filling. The olive's slight bitterness perfectly balances the richness of the fry.

• Prep time: 60 min
• Cook time: 15 min
• Difficulty: Hard
• Calories: 1420
• Protein: 45 g
• Carbs: 67 g
• Fat: 105 g

Ingredients

• 500 g Green olive ( large, Ascolana type )
• 100 g Beef rib roast ( ground )
• 100 g Ground pork ( fresh )
• 50 g Ground chicken ( fresh )
• 50 g Parmesan cheese ( grated )
• 3 piece Egg ( fresh )
• 1 piece Onion ( finely chopped )
• 1 piece Carrot ( finely diced )
• 1 piece Apium graveolens ( finely diced )
• 50 ml Dry white wine
• 100 g Wheat flour
• 150 g Breadcrumbs
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• 1 piece Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. ( for zest )
• 1000 ml Peanut oil ( for frying )
• 500 g Ascolana Tenera Olives ( fresh and fleshy )

Instructions

1. Brown the meats

   In a sauté pan, brown the beef, pork, and chicken with the finely diced onion, carrot, and celery. The meat must be well seared to develop the juices.

2. Deglaze and reduce

   Deglaze with the dry white wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula and let it reduce completely to concentrate the flavors.

3. Prepare the stuffing

   Pass the cooked meats through a fine grinder. Mix with parmesan, one egg, nutmeg, and lemon zest. The stuffing should be supple and homogeneous.

4. Cut the Ascolana Tenera olives

   Using a small paring knife, cut the flesh of the Ascolana Tenera olive in a spiral around the pit, without breaking it, as if peeling a fruit. Remove the pit.

5. Stuff and shape

   Place a small ball of stuffing in the center of the flesh spiral and close the Ascolana Tenera olive to restore its original shape between your palms.

6. Bread the olives

   Dredge each Ascolana Tenera olive in flour, then in the two remaining beaten eggs, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Repeat the process for a sturdier crust.

7. Fry

   Plunge the Ascolana Tenera olives into the peanut oil at 180°C. When the breading is golden and crispy, drain on paper towels.

Chef's tips

• Do not break the olive spiral; it's what holds the filling in place.
• The oil must be a constant 180°C: too cold, the olive absorbs the fat; too hot, the breading burns before the filling heats up.

Storage

Consume immediately. You can freeze the olives once breaded but before frying.