Fried Olives for Aperitivo
RITA'S KITCHEN
Fried Olives for Aperitivo
The perfect salty, cheesy little bite to enjoy with a cold glass of wine on a summer evening. Promise you can’t have just one.
By Rita K. Mashkova
August 01, 2024
TOTAL TIME
30 Minutes
"What’s better than something salty and crunchy to go with a cold glass of wine? These cheese-stuffed fried olives are the perfect thing to serve for aperitivo and will be an absolute crowd-pleaser. I like to use low-moisture mozzarella here because its firmer texture is easy to stuff into the olives, plus it melts beautifully. Dried parsley and garlic and a bit of parmigiano add extra flavor to the breading and make it irresistibly crisp. Fry these up just before serving and enjoy hot."
Ingredients
6 servings
1
8-oz jar large, pitted olives (about 25-30 total)
4
oz low moisture mozzarella cheese
2/3
cup flour
2
eggs
1
cup breadcrumbs
1/4
cup parmigiano cheese
1
tbsp dried parsley
1
tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
cooking oil
lemon wedges (for serving)
Preparation
Step 1
Drain olives and set aside to dry. Slice your mozzarella into very small rectangles that are the size of the space inside your pitted olives. Stuff each olive with a piece of cheese.
Step 2
Place your flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. Season the flour with a little bit of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Beat the eggs with a little salt. Add parmigiano, dried parsley, garlic powder, a little salt, and pepper to breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Note: because the olives are already salty, you don’t want to overdo it with the salt in this step.
Step 3
Dredge the stuffed olives by first coating in flour, then egg wash, then breadcrumbs.
Step 4
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat 1 inch of neutral cooking oil over medium-high heat. Fry the olives in batches of 5-8 olives for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown all over. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 5
To serve, drizzle with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and enjoy hot with a glass of cold wine. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!