Spicy Cheese-Stuffed Fried Olives

By á-161709

Olives are stuffed with a spicy, harissa cream cheese, then rolled in bread crumbs with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you've never had fried olives now is your chance! They're easy to make and work well for a simple snack or fancy hors d’oeuvres.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons Harissa
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 50 large pitted green olives, rinsed and dried
• 1/2 cup panko or plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 egg beaten
• Oil, for frying
• Fleur de sel, optional

Preparation

Step 1

In a bowl, mix together ricotta, cream cheese, Harissa, and honey until uniform. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with the smallest pastry tip you have. You can also use a Ziploc bag to do this, and use scissors to cut off a small piece of the corner of the bag. Pipe filling into all of the olives.

Set up a dredging station. Mix together the breadcrumbs and parmesan in one bowl. Place the flour in another and the beaten egg in between. Roll the olives in the flour and dust off any excess. Dip into the egg and then roll in the parm-bread crumb mixture until all are coated.

In a Dutch oven or pot, heat 3 to 4 inches of oil to 360° F. Carefully, drop olives into the oil, working in batches depending on the size of your vessel. Fry until a deep golden brown and remove to a paper towel-lined plate. If the olives are not too salty, sprinkle with a little fleur de sel.

Let cool slightly before serving.