Olive all’Ascolana

Name: Olive all’Ascolana
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Marche
Ingredients: Ascolane Olives: 1 Kg; Minced meat: 100 gr; Minced pork: 100 gr; Minced chicken breast: 100 gr; Mollica (Soft part of bread): 30 gr; White onions: Half; Nutmeg: a pinch; Parmigiano Reggiano: 80 gr; Lemon Zest: Half lemon; Cloves: a pinch; Carrots: 1; Celery: 1 stalk; White wine: 1 glass; Large eggs: 1; Salt; Large eggs: 2; Breadcrumbs; All purpose flour; EVO oil: 500 ml

Cuisine:

Marche

80 Min
Serves 4
Medium

Ingredients

1 Kg Ascolane Olives
100 gr Minced meat
100 gr Minced pork
100 gr Minced chicken breast
30 gr Mollica (Soft part of bread)
Half White onions
a pinch Nutmeg
80 gr Parmigiano Reggiano
Grated
Half lemon Lemon Zest
a pinch Cloves
grinded
1 Carrots
small
1 stalk Celery
1 glass White wine
1 Large eggs
Salt
Panatura
2 Large eggs
Breadcrumbs
All purpose flour
500 ml EVO oil
For frying

Directions

The Ascolana olives are surely the most representative traditional dish of the gastronomy of Marche region, appreciated and known all over the world. This ancient recipe was born at the end of the 1800’s and it is based on the use of “tender Ascoli” olives, generally kept in a brine seasoned with wild fennel seeds and local aromatic herbs, and also three different types of meat, that is beef, pork and chicken (or turkey), together with Parmesan cheese, vegetables and aromas.

Steps

1 Done	Chop the vegetables (onion, celery, carrot) and brown them with 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, cut the three types of meat into small cubes and add them to the sauté.
2 Done	When the meat is browned, season with salt, add the white wine and let it evaporate over low heat.
3 Done	Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool, then later grind it up.
4 Done	Pour the mixture into a bowl, then add the clove powder and nutmeg, grated zest of 1/2 lemon, an egg, the grated Parmesan cheese, the bread crumbs, and mix well until you get a soft but compact mixture, let it rest for half an hour.
5 Done	Now go on to stone the olives: with a small kitchen knife with a smooth blade, cut the olive in a spiral without breaking it starting from the stem, so as to obtain a spiral of pulp freed from the stone.
6 Done	At this point fill the olives with the stuffing obtained and give them their original shape, which will obviously be a little larger.
7 Done	Meanwhile, prepare three bowls containing separately; flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs.
8 Done	Pass each olive first in the flour, then in the beaten egg and lastly in the breadcrumbs, and when they are all ready let them rest in a cool place for half an hour. and then repeat the operation to give them a second breading in order to make them crispy for frying.
9 Done	At this point, you can fry the Olive all'Ascolana in hot extra-virgin olive oil, turning them from time to time until they reach a golden color and uniform, then drain them and place them on a plate with paper towels. Serve them immediately and piping hot!