Fried Olives
It was not too long ago when a few families got together and decided to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in downtown Milwaukee called Rustico. At first I was thinking ‘why are we eating at an Italian restaurant on a Friday night?’. If you are not familiar with Milwaukee tradition, it is typically the night of the week to have a fish fry. I cannot say I was overly disappointed because after all, it was a night out without the kids, and in my opinion, that is a good night any night of the week.
As we entered Rustico, I first thought, ok, this is going to be fun. We had a long dinner table and we were surround by good people. The night started off quickly, and I believe everyone was extremely hungry, because before we knew it a bunch of appetizers were on the table. One that caught my attention, and one that has been on my menu for some time, was the fried olives. I quickly popped one into my mouth and fell in love. I don’t know if you are like me, but I love olives, and I especially love going to a party where there is an array of olives to chose from.
So after I ventured to one of my favorite markets in the neighborhood, Sendiks, my attention immediately was drawn to these large green olives stuffed with provolone cheese. Perfect for frying. Lets get started on making these really simple appetizers, and trust me, you will pop more than one.
Ingredients:
- 12 large green olives, pitted, and stuffed with cheese
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, ground into a fine crumb
- 1 cup of vegetable oil
This recipe is really easy to make, and also really quick to make, so it is perfect for a party.
Begin by taking the olives and place them on some paper towel. Remove as much moisture from the exterior of the olive as possible. Next, get your dredging station ready. Add the water to the beaten egg, and mix for your egg wash. Add the flour to one bowl, and the breadcrumbs to another bowl.
Take a small pan and add the oil, heating it for about 5 minutes or so, or until you reach about 350 degrees.
Take a a few of the olives and toss it into the flour bowl. Shake them around to fully coat, then add into the egg wash. Make sure the olives get a nice coating of egg, then move them into the panko breadcrumbs, tossing to make sure you have a nice even coating of breadcrumbs. Add these to the hot oil, and cook for a few minutes, turning once with a spoon. Once they are golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon onto some paper towel to remove any access oil.
To serve, simply pop them into your mouth. Go figure! I served mine up in a martini glass for presentation, which I’m certain will be a hit at your next party.
4 Comments
Daniel
I first had fried olives as part of the Fritto Misto at the Wolfgang Puck Grill in Las Vegas. It was a mixture of fried shrimp, calamari, zucchini and olives. I wasn’t so sure about fried olives until I popped the first one. I quickly traded my wife the rest of what was on the plate in exchange for them!
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Adriana
I live in Italy, there is a recipe called olive all’ascolana, they are basically fried olives filled with a mix of minced meat.
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gypsy jules
I eat olives literally every day. But I have never had a fried olive. I believe you may have just changed my life.