- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation: 60 min
- Cooking: 20 min
- Note: +12 hours soaking time for the olives
Succulent green olives, stuffed with a savory meat filling, then breaded and fried to golden perfection. Ascolana olives (in Italian, olive all’ascolana or olive ascolane) are arguably the most iconic dish of the culinary tradition of the Marche region, their name deriving from the town of Ascoli Piceno. Here, even today, families gather to prepare large batches, freezing them to fry as needed. The original recipe is steeped in history, believed to date as far back as the 19th century.
These mouthwatering morsels are the perfect appetizer, ideal for pairing with an assortment of cured meats and cheeses. In Italy, they’ve become a beloved street food and an essential finger food at aperitivo buffets. Over time, like many traditional recipes, Ascolana olives have evolved, spawning numerous variations. However, the classic version features a rich filling of pork, beef, and chicken. For a modern twist, they can be reimagined with a vegetarian stuffing of seasonal vegetables, or for seafood enthusiasts, filled with delicate cod.
Ingredients (for about 90 olives)
- 750 g green olives (for convenience, you can use pre-pitted olives)
- Wild fennel to taste
For the filling
- 300 g beef
- 150 g pork
- 50 g chicken breast
- ½ carrot
- ½ stalk of celery
- ½ onion
- 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves
- 70 g white wine
- 20 g extra virgin olive oil
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Nutmeg to taste
For the breading
- All-purpose flour (type 00) to taste
- Medium eggs to taste
- Breadcrumbs to taste
- Fine salt to taste
For frying
- Sunflower oil to taste
Cooking Process
- To prepare Ascolana olives, begin by soaking the olives for 12 hours in water infused with some wild fennel. Once they’re ready, focus on the filling: cut the beef, pork, and chicken breast into small pieces.
- In a large pot, heat a drizzle of olive oil, then add the roughly chopped carrot and celery, along with half an onion pierced with the cloves. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add the beef and pork, season with pepper, cover the pot, and let the meat cook gently for about 20 minutes.
- Next, add the chicken breast, pour in the white wine, and season with salt. Continue cooking for about an hour, keeping the lid on.
- Once the meat has cooked through, turn off the heat and let it cool completely. Remove the cloves from the onion, and grind the meat and vegetables using a meat grinder.
- Transfer the ground mixture to a bowl, then add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, the egg, and a hint of freshly grated nutmeg. Knead everything together by hand until the filling is smooth and well combined.
- To prepare the olives, slice them in a spiral to remove the pit (if using pitted olives, you can skip this step). Carefully open the olives and stuff them with the filling.
- For the breading, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Roll the stuffed olives first in flour, then dip them into the beaten eggs, shaking off any excess. Finally, coat them in breadcrumbs and arrange them on a tray.
- Now for the final touch: heat the sunflower oil to 180°C (350°F). Fry the olives in small batches for about 2 minutes, just until they turn golden and crispy. Once done, drain them on paper towels and serve your Ascolana olives slightly warm. Buon appetito!
Storage and Tips
To fully enjoy the crispiness of Ascolana olives, we recommend serving them immediately after frying. However, you can also bread the stuffed olives and freeze them, frying them straight from frozen when needed.
For the perfect filling texture, a meat grinder is ideal; we advise against using a food processor, as it can make the meat too soft and smooth. For those who love an extra crunch, consider applying a double layer of breading for an even crispier result.
