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Prep Time: 50 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes |
Ready In: 90 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This recipe is from De Agostini's La Mia Cucina; the authors warn not to overstuff the olives lest the stuffing expand as it cooks and split the olives, and also warn that the oil should be hot but not smoking, lest the outsides of the olives burn before the stuffing is done. I ate these it Italy all the time. They are so great. Apparently, this recipe originates in the 1600's. I guess if it isn't broke don't fix it, eh? Enjoy!... Ingredients:
1 lb of very large mild olive, packed in brine (if you buy them pitted you won't have to do it yourself) |
4 ounces fresh mild pork sausage |
4 ounces ground veal |
1/2 cup meat broth (bullion is fine) |
2 ounces diced cured lard (buy this from a delicatessen, or use pancetta or prosciutto fat) |
10 ounces fine breadcrumbs (this will likely be about 2 1/2 cups) |
1/2 cup dry white wine |
1 cup freshly grated parmigiano (see note) |
2 eggs |
2 tablespoons flour |
2 tablespoons unsalted butter |
1 tablespoon minced parsley |
1 pinch of freshly ground nutmeg |
oil (for frying) |
Directions:
1. Finely dice the veal, crumble the sausage, and sauté them in the butter. When they have browned, sprinkle the wine over them, let it evaporate, stir in the diced lard, and continue sautéing gently for 5-10 minutes (you want the meat to brown but not burn). Stir in the broth and simmer for five minutes, then remove the meats to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pot.
2. Stir two heaping tablespoons of the bread crumbs into the drippings. Grind the meat mixture and combine it with the breadcrumbs you stirred into the drippings, then lightly beat one of the eggs and work it into the filling too, with the parsley, grated cheese, and nutmeg. Check seasoning and let the filling rest for a half hour.
3. Pit the olives if they weren't already pitted, and fill them. The easiest way to do this is to put the filling in a pastry bag or syringe of the kind used for frosting, with a fairly fine nozzle, and squirt the filling into the holes.
4. Lightly beat the remaining egg. Roll the filled olives in flour, then in the egg, and then in the bread crumbs. Fry them in abundant oil for 15-20 minutes, drain them well, and serve them.
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