Ascoli-style olives
Olive all'ascolana
Traditional recipe
Pitted tender green olives, stuffed with minced meat and Parmigiano Reggiano, breaded and fried: the appetizer of Marche and throughout Italy.
Ascolana olives originate from Ascoli Piceno, in the Marche, where the local olive variety—the Oliva Ascolana del Piceno DOP—is the star. Large, meaty, and delicately flavored, it's the ideal variety for this dish. The recipe originated in the 19th century in the noble palaces of Ascoli Piceno: cooks invented this way of using leftovers from roasts (a mix of beef, chicken, and pork) to stuff the olives that were abundant in local homes. Today, Ascoli olives are part of the fritto misto all'ascolana (with fried cream, cremini (cured cream cheese), and meats) and is the most exported dish of the region. Marche in the world.
Instructions
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3 steps · natural Italian voice
Prepare the filling
Brown the ground meat in one saucepan with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat-high for 8–10 minutes until evenly browned (Maillard reaction). Reduce heat, let the liquids evaporate and cool completely. Combine Parmigiano Reggiano grated cheese, 1 egg, grated nutmeg and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper only after tasting. Mix until you get a mixture compact but soft, able to adhere to the olive pulp.
Pit and stuff
Stone the olives by spiraling around the pit with a sharp knife, turning gently to keep the pulp intact. Stuff each olive with a teaspoon Add a little filling, press lightly, and close the ball, overlapping the meat with the pulp. Shape with your palm until the surface is smooth and free of cracks; the sphere should feel firm but not hard to the touch.
Breading and frying
Coat the olives in flour, then in the 2 beaten eggs, and finally in the breadcrumbs, pressing to coat evenly. Heat the seed oil to 170–180°C (356°F); fry 6 olives at a time for 3–4 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Drain on a wire rack. paper towels and let it rest for 1 minute before serving hot.
Chef's Tips
Spiral pitting requires practice: the first attempts will be imperfect. The Ascolana DOP olive is essential for the authentic version: large, plump, and tender. They freeze beautifully raw after breading: fry them straight from the freezer.
Ingredients
- 40 Ascolane DOP green olives (or large tender green olives)
- (7.05 oz) 200 g mixed minced meat (beef, pork, chicken)
- (1.76 oz) 50 g of Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 1 egg
- Nutmeg, salt, pepper
- Grated lemon zest
- For breading: 2 eggs, flour, breadcrumbs
- Seed oil for frying
Can't find it in the US?
- dry breadcrumbsMost US supermarkets
Plain dry breadcrumbs
Not seasoned Italian-style crumbs and not panko.
⚠️ Automatic ingredient-based detection. Always check product labels.
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