Italian Fried Stuffed Olives - Olive all' Ascolana

5 from 6 reviews

Author: Roz

60 large whole Castelvetrano green olives
2 cups water
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced (my addition to this recipe)
1 small carrot finely grated
½ medium onion finely chopped
½ cup finely chopped celery and the leaves the original doesn't include leaves, but my mother taught me to always use the leaves which are packed with more flavor than the stalks
4 - 6 ounces mild Italian sausage my addition to this recipe that replaced plain ground pork
4 - 6 ounces ground beef
4 - 6 ounces ground chicken
⅓ cup dry white wine
¼ tsp. nutmeg the original calls for a pinch, but there's no taste with just a pinch!
pinch of cracked red pepper my addition to this recipe
freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper
1 egg yolk
½ cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs the original recipe calls for 1 egg, but you'll run out of egg, if you only have 1, so I added two more to dip the olives into
2 cups flour
2 - 3 cups Italian breadcrumbs the original recipe calls for 'plain' breadcrumbs, which I changed
1 bottle vegetable or olive oil for frying

With a small paring knife, moving in a spiral motion around each Castelvetrano olive, cut down through to the pit. With the knife inserted in the olive, turn it around and slice it in one spiral continual slice (similar to peeling an apple in with one continual peel).
Discard the pit and place olive in bowl of salted water. Repeat with all olives.

In a mini food processor, place the chopped onions, carrot, and celery to finely mince (this is the 'soffrito').
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil.
Saute the 'soffrito' of onions, carrot and celery for 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and saute' for another minute (my addition to this recipe).
Add the sausage, ground beef and ground chicken; with the end of a large cooking spatula, chop up the meats as they cook for 5 - 10 minutes until completely cooked.
Add wine, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper (to taste) and cook for 10 minutes or until the liquid is slightly reduced.
Transfer the entire mixture to a food processor and blend until a smooth paste develops.
Add the egg yolk and Parmesan cheese and blend again.
Remove the mixture and shape into into a ball; if it is too soft or sticky, place it in the refrigerator to chill. ** This filling can be made up to two days ahead and kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to stuff the olives.

Take a ½ teaspoon of the filling; roll it into an oval shape and wrap a pitted olive around it.
Press gently to close the olive completely over the filling; repeat with all of the olives. Refrigerate the stuffed olives until ready to fry.

Have 3 bowls ready. One for flour, one for the eggs, and one for the Italian breadcrumbs.
Dip the stuffed olives in the flour, then into the eggs and then into the breadcrumbs.
Dip the breaded olives back into the eggs and breadcrumbs for a second coat.
With your hands, gently press all of the breading into a nice shape around each olive.
Fill a heavy deep frying pan with oil, and heat up the oil.
Carefully drop each olive into the oil and fry for 1 minute until gently golden brown, turning them to brown evenly on all sides. Fry in small batches so they don't touch while frying. (If the olives brown sooner than 1 minute, the oil is too hot and the stuffing is not cooking completely, so turn the oil down if this is taking place).
Place on a platter with a paper towel.
Serve immediately.

Now you have to taste this while it is still in the pan. Is there enough salt? Do you want to add some dry Italian seasonings? How about adding a pinch of fennel? How about adding a half teaspoon of minced oregano (fresh or dried)?
I added them all, because my family likes a LOT of flavor. But it is entirely up to you.

Serving: 60g