Today we'll be preparing the fried stuffed olives “Ascolana” style.
Ascoli Piceno, Marche' s southernmost province, is well-known for Olive all'ascolana, that are stoned olives stuffed with several meats and parmesan, then fried.
This appetizer is one of the most representative of the Italian culinary tradition and it is for sure the most traditional dish of the Marches, appreciated all over Italy and well-known all over the world.
Ingredients:
2,2 lbs (1 Kg) of soft tender olives from Ascoli
1 oz (30 g) of the soft inner part of bread
¾ cup (80 g) of greated Parmesan cheese
3 egg
½ lemon
a pinch of nutmeg
a picng clove powder
a cup of white wine
salt
a small stalk of celery
a small carrot
½ onion
3,5 oz (100 g) of chicken breast
3,5 oz (100 g) of beef meat
3,5 oz (100 g) of pork meat
breadcrumbs
some flour
2 cup (½ l) of extra virgin oil
Preparation:
First of all put 4 spoons of extra virgin olive oil in a stewspan and cooking brown, with chopped carrot, celery and onion; then add chicken, beef and pork meat.
When the meat will be well browned add the glass of white wine and let it evaporate on a very low flame.
While the meat is cooking, take a small knife and make a spiral cut in stoned olives from top to bottom, without breaking them.
Once the meat is ready, remove it and let it cool; when the meat is cold it will be able to mins it with the food processor. At this point add the grated zest of half lemon, an egg, the clop powder, the nutmeg, the grated Parmesan cheese and the inner soft part of bread.
Mix it well until the mixture is soft and let it rest for half an hour.
Now we can stuff olives with the mixture: open each olive, put the stuffing inside and ricompose it, closing it perfectly.
Then roll each olive first in flour, then in the whisked eggs and finally in the breadcrumbs, so that it will be well crispy for frying.
You have to fry your olives Ascolana style in very hot oil, turning them occasionally and remove them when they are golden brown; then drain them and place them onto a plate covered with kitchen paper.
You have to fry your olives Ascolana style in very hot oil, turning them occasionally and remove them when they are golden brown; then drain them and place them onto a plate covered with kitchen paper.
The dish can be serve either hot or cold with Rosso Piceno, a regional guaranteed of origin red wine...enjoy your meal!!!
