mixed olives, stuffed and fried

fritto misto di olive ripiene

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 40 minutes

MAKES: 6 servings

Here is the ultimate appetizer: three different kinds of olives, two stuffed and fried, the other mixed with mashed potato and fried. It takes some work, but you will be a hero for making and serving these.

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Ingredients

18 Gaeta olives, drained and patted dry
6 pea-sized shards Pecorino Toscano or Grana Padano cheese
1 1/2 ounces sweet sausage, removed from casing (3 tablespoons)
6 capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, then rinsed again
1 large flat anchovy fillet, cut crosswise into 6 pieces
1/2 pound Yukon gold or other yellow-fleshed potatoes
Fine sea salt
1/2 cup Taggiasca olives, pitted and finely chopped
3 tablespoons freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
18 green Cerignola olives, drained and patted dry
5 tablespoons ground pork (2 1/2 ounces)
5 tablespoons ground beef (2 1/2 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon plain fine breadcrumbs plus more for dredging
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for dredging
About 3 cups canola or peanut oil for frying
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: a candy/deep-fry thermometer, 6 (5-inch) bamboo skewers

Instructions

Butterfly Gaeta olives; remove pits. Stuff 6 Gaeta olives with Pecorino Toscano, 6 with sausage, and 6 with 1 caper and 1 anchovy piece in each. Threading olives crosswise, thread 1 skewer with 1 of each type of stuffed olive; repeat with remaining skewers.

Peel and quarter potatoes. Cover potatoes with salted cold water by 1 inch in a heavy medium saucepan, then simmer, uncovered, until very tender, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain potato and let cool, then mash with chopped Taggiasca olives. Stir in 2 tablespoons grated Grana Padano and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Shape mixture into 18 balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Transfer potato balls to a plate.

Using a sharp paring knife, and starting from the end without the hole, carefully cut 1 Cerignola olive away from pit in a spiral,

as if peeling an apple. The olive will coil. Place olive meat in a bowl; discard pit. Repeat with remaining Cerignola olives.

In a bowl, combine pork, beef, 1 egg, remaining tablespoon grated Grana Padano, breadcrumbs and generous pinch salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Roll a heaping teaspoon of the meat mixture into a ball. Shape 1 pitted Cerignola olive around the filling, so the fruit regains its original shape; transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining Cerignola olives and filling.

Lightly beat 2 eggs in a medium shallow bowl. Put breadcrumbs for dredging in a second shallow bowl. Put flour for dredging in a third bowl. Dust 1 Cerignola olive with flour, then dip into beaten eggs, letting excess drip off. Roll in bread crumbs to generously coat and transfer to a large plate. Repeat with remaining Cerignola olives.

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 inches oil to 350°. In batches, fry Cerignola olives in the oil, turning with a slotted spoon, until golden, about 2 minutes (adjust heat as necessary to keep oil around 350°). Using a slotted spoon, transfer fried olives to paper towels to drain. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm.

In a fourth bowl, whisk together remaining egg and 5 tablespoons flour. Dust skewers with flour, then, in batches of 3, dip skewers into egg-flour batter and spoon batter over any exposed olives to coat all sides; let excess drip off. Fry skewers, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining skewers. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm.

In batches, dust potato balls with flour, then dip into beaten eggs, letting excess drip off. Roll in bread crumbs to generously coat and transfer to a large plate. Fry and serve potato balls in same manner described above. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve warm.

April 2011